what is a silver 50 cent piece worth today

[Raquel]

Well, that's not as simple as asking what a five-dollar bill is worth! The value of your silver 50-cent piece depends entirely on when it was born. Not all silver half dollars were created equal, you see.

If you're holding a half dollar from 1964 or earlier, like a Kennedy, Franklin, or Walking Liberty, then congratulations! You've got one of the good ones. These coins are the real deal, containing a respectable 90% silver. Based on the current market, its melt value is hovering around $10.61. That's a pretty handsome return on a 50-cent investment.

Now, if your Kennedy half dollar is dated between 1965 and 1970, it's a bit of a different story. These coins were on a silver diet, containing only 40% of the precious metal. Their melt value is consequently lower, sitting at about $4.32. It's still a lot more than face value, but it's not quite the heavyweight champion its older siblings are.

Of course, this is all about the coin's melt value—what the silver itself is worth. If you happen to have a coin that's particularly rare or in shockingly perfect condition, it could be worth more to a collector. But for the average silver half dollar found in an old piggy bank, its value is all about that shiny metal content.