Coin value · live melt price
Kennedy Half Dollar Value & Melt Value Today
The date decides a Kennedy half's metal value: 1964 holds 0.3617 troy ounces of silver, 1965–1970 holds 0.1479, and 1971 and later circulating halves hold none.
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Melt value
$0.00
0 troy oz of pure silver
Metal value only, before any dealer spread. Scarce dates and high grades can be worth much more.
Value at today's silver price: 1964 Kennedy half dollar
| Amount | Pure silver | Melt value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 coin | 0.362 oz | — |
| Roll of 20 ($10 face) | 7.234 oz | — |
| $100 face value | 72.338 oz | — |
Figures assume full-weight coins. For worn 90% coins the usual rule of thumb is about 0.715 oz per $1 face, about 1% less.
Melt value is the floor
Melt value is what the metal in a coin is worth: its pure silver content times the spot price. A 1964 Kennedy half dollar holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver, so at $60 an ounce its melt value is $21.70. The calculator above uses today's price instead.
That number is the floor. Worn 1964 and 1965–1970 Kennedy halves trade as junk silver: bought and sold on their silver content. A scarce date, a rare mint mark or a coin in high grade is priced as a collectible, starting from the floor and going up.
| Coin | Years | Metal | Weight | Pure silver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Kennedy | 1964 | 90% silver, 10% copper | 12.50 g | 0.3617 oz |
| 40% Kennedy half | 1965–1970 | 40% silver (silver-clad) | 11.50 g | 0.1479 oz |
| Clad Kennedy half | 1971 and later | Copper-nickel clad | 11.34 g | None |
The Kennedy half was rushed into production in 1964, months after the president's death. The 1964 coins are 90% silver; the Coinage Act of 1965 cut the half to 40% silver through 1970, and from 1971 it has been copper-nickel clad. Most circulated 1964 and 40% halves trade on silver content.
Is yours a valuable one? Check these first
Check the date, the mint mark and the condition against this list. If your coin matches a key date or variety, have it looked at by a dealer who handles collector coins before you sell it for melt.
- 1970-D: The lowest-mintage 40% silver Kennedy: 2,150,000 struck.
- 1964 Accented Hair proof: Some 1964 proofs show much stronger hair detail. The premium is largest in top proof grades.
- 1964 doubled die obverse or reverse: A small share of the 273 million 1964 Philadelphia halves show doubling. The reverse variety is scarcer.
- 1972-D, no FG: Over-polished dies erased the designer's FG initials on the back. Easy to check, hard to find.
- 1998-S matte finish: Only 62,000 of the special sets with this matte-finish half were sold.
Mintages and varieties from APMEX's Kennedy half key dates guide. For current collector prices by grade, check the PCGS Price Guide or the NGC Price Guide. Prices for key dates change often and depend heavily on grade.
What dealers typically pay
Dealers price common silver coins off the silver spot price, so the melt figure above is the number to anchor on. Some shops quote per coin, others per $1 of face value. Before you accept, put the offer into the Coin Offer Checker: it shows the metal value and where the offer sits against typical dealer pay. For a key date or a high-grade coin, ask for an offer on the coin as a collectible, not as silver.
Not sure it's silver?
The Is My Coin Silver? checker takes the denomination and year and tells you the metal, the silver content and the melt value. Selling a mix of coins? The silver coin melt value calculator adds up several types at once, and the junk silver calculator works from face value.
Where to sell
Compare coin dealers near you: what each one buys, and what recent customers say about the offers they got. If this coin is part of a larger collection, read how to sell a coin collection first.
Value pages for other coins
Questions
How much silver is in a Kennedy half dollar?
A 1964 Kennedy half holds 0.3617 troy ounces of silver. A 1965–1970 Kennedy half holds 0.1479. Circulating Kennedys from 1971 on contain none.
Which Kennedy halves have no silver?
Circulating Kennedy halves dated 1971 and later are copper-nickel clad, apart from special silver proof and collector issues.
Is a 1964 Kennedy half dollar worth more than melt?
Most circulated 1964 halves sell for about their silver value. Proofs with Accented Hair and the doubled-die varieties carry premiums.
What is the rarest Kennedy half dollar?
Among regular issues, the 1970-D has the lowest 40% silver mintage at 2,150,000. The 1972-D without FG initials and the 1998-S matte finish are scarcer varieties.
Sources: APMEX, Kennedy half key dates · CoinWeek, silver content of U.S. coins · MetalCharts junk silver guide · U.S. Mint coin specifications (current clad coins) · Coinage Act of 1965. Updated 2026-10-09.