silver coin question

[Omardeth]

anybody know what year they stoped makeing us half dollars out of silver ?

[DallasDon]

Believe it was like 1963/64. Last set was John F. Kennedy half dollar.

64 Kennedy Half Dollars are worth 32 bucks.

[daveleau]

They stopped printing full-silver Kennedy half dollars in 65, but they took all the silver out in 70.

When Congress opted to eliminate silver from the dime and quarter beginning in 1965, it reached a compromise with the half dollar: Its silver content, while greatly reduced overall, was placed almost entirely at the coin’s surface by bonding three strips of metal, the innermost one being primarily copper. These “silver-clad” pieces were coined from 1965 through 1970. Despite these various steps, Kennedy half dollars still failed to circulate to any great extent, and the question of eliminating its silver content altogether was eventually raised. After protracted debate during 1969-70, a bill was finally passed near the end of 1970 which called for the coining of half dollars in the same composition used since 1965 for the dime and quarter: two outer layers of copper and nickel bonded to an inner core of pure copper. From 1971 onward, the Kennedy half dollar would bear the red edge which had already become familiar to Americans who mourned the passing of silver from the nation’s coinage. Alas, even this concession was not enough to make half dollars reappear in circulation, and today they are known only to coin collectors and gambling casino patrons.

http://www.fastcoin.com/Kennedy-Half-Dollar-History.htm

[Omardeth]

thanks , so if i read that right 65-70 is part silver and before 65 dimes quarters and halfs are mostly silver ?

[DallasDon]

and today they are known only to coin collectors and gambling casino patrons.

Yep, what Dave said. I can attest that the half dollars are alive and well in The Promised Land, and pre 1965 ones are a rarity.

You can tell them by the special "clink" they make when they hit the slot maching tray.

Hence the old joke, "64 Kennedy Halves are worth 32 dollars"

64 fifty cent pieces of any vintage have a face value of 32 dollars

[Sweeper]

I have 2 1964 Silver Half Dollars.

[no1_vern]

Kennedy Halves
Net Weight
silver issues
.36169 ounces pure silver
silver clad issues
.1479 ounces pure silver

Composition - Silver
.900 silver
.100 copper

[jmebonner]

Where's you all find all the info? I came across a 1944 half dollar today and am wondering if it might be worth something. I believe it's a walking liberty, but it isn't in the greatest shape...

[no1_vern]

I googled.

When either Barber or Walking Liberty halves are found by the public, they are quite worn and are worth only their silver value, .36169 troy oz pure. The most valuable Barber half dollars are the ones dated 1892O, 92S and the 1897S. Each is worth about $50+ in the lowest grade that they are found. The rarest Walking Liberty halves are the 1921 and 21D, which are worth at least $35 each even if they are in worn condition.

Your 1944 Walking liberty has about 0.36169 of an oz of Silver.
since silver bullion is selling for about $4.20~$4.60 range Your coin is worth about a dollar in RAW silver.