what year are half dollars silver worth money

[MacMiranda]

Based on the provided information and numismatic standards, the years in which half dollars contain silver and are worth more than their face value can be broken down into distinct eras.

Any United States half dollar with a date of 1964 or earlier is composed of 90% silver. This includes the first year of the Kennedy half dollar (1964) as well as all previous series, such as the Franklin, Walking Liberty, and Barber half dollars. These coins are consistently valuable for their high silver content.

From 1965 through 1970, the composition of the Kennedy half dollar was changed to a 40% silver-clad planchet. While they contain less silver than the earlier coins, they are still worth more than their 50-cent face value due to this precious metal content.

Beginning in 1971, the U.S. Mint ceased using silver in circulating half dollars, switching to the copper-nickel clad composition still used today. Therefore, with the exception of special silver proof sets and commemorative issues made for collectors, any half dollar dated 1971 or later that you find in general circulation does not contain silver. The value of a silver half dollar is determined by its silver content (melt value) as well as numismatic factors like its condition, rarity, and specific year, which can lead to a wide range of values from a few dollars to thousands for rare, high-grade examples.