Well, while the provided sources are certainly experts in coin pricing, the snippets you've shared are basically just the website's welcome mat and coat rack. They offer a place to hang your hat but don't actually tell you what anything in the house is worth. So, let's set that aside and dig into the real treasure.
The burning question of what a 50-cent piece is worth has a delightfully complicated answer: it depends! The most straightforward answer is that any half-dollar made from 1971 to today is generally worth... exactly 50 cents. Shocking, I know. These are your standard copper-nickel coins, and unless they're in pristine, uncirculated condition or part of a special collector's set, they're not going to fund your retirement.
However, if you're holding a half-dollar from before 1971, you're in business. The value starts to climb because of good old-fashioned silver. Kennedy half-dollars minted between 1965 and 1970 are 40% silver, making them worth a few bucks based on the current price of silver alone. Think of it as their "get out of the coin jar free" card.
The real fun begins with coins from 1964 and earlier. These half-dollars, including the 1964 Kennedy, the Franklin half-dollar, and the iconic Walking Liberty half-dollar, are all 90% silver. Their base value is tied directly to the silver market, meaning they are worth many times their face value, often in the $10 range or more just for their metal content. For a collector, a rare date or a coin in fantastic condition could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So before you spend that old half-dollar on a gumball, it's worth taking a closer look.
