
Based on an analysis of United States coinage, the amount of silver in a half dollar is determined by its specific year of mintage and series. The half dollars containing the most silver are those with a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper. This category is not limited to a single design but encompasses three distinct series of the coin.
The specific half dollars that contain this maximum amount of silver include the Walking Liberty Half Dollar (minted from 1916 to 1947), the Franklin Half Dollar (minted from 1948 to 1963), and the 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar. Each of these 90% silver coins contains approximately 0.36169 Troy ounces of pure silver. Therefore, no single coin among these three series has more silver than the others; they are all equivalent in their precious metal content.
For comparison, a subsequent series of half dollars contains a significantly reduced amount of the metal. Kennedy Half Dollars minted between 1965 and 1970 were produced with a 40% silver-clad composition. These coins contain only about 0.1479 Troy ounces of silver, which is substantially less than their predecessors. Consequently, the half dollars with the most silver are any of those minted for circulation in 1964 or earlier.


