Coin value · live melt price
Silver Half Dollar Value & Melt Value Today
A 90% silver half dollar (1964 and earlier) holds 0.3617 troy ounces of silver; a 40% Kennedy half (1965–1970) holds 0.1479. Halves from 1971 on have no silver.
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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: 90% silver 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 90% silver 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 Kennedy halves and 40% halves trade as junk silver, priced on their silver content. Walking Liberty and Franklin halves can carry a premium even when common. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90% half dollar | 1964 and earlier | 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 |
Walking Liberty (1916–1947), Franklin (1948–1963) and 1964 Kennedy halves are all 90% silver. The Coinage Act of 1965 cut the half dollar to 40% silver, and from 1971 circulating halves have been copper-nickel clad. Common worn 90% and 40% halves trade on their 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.
- 1921-D: Lowest mintage of the series: 208,000 struck.
- 1921: 246,000 struck at Philadelphia, against more than 6 million the year before.
- 1916-S: 508,000 struck, with the mint mark on the front below IN GOD WE TRUST.
- 1938-D: 491,600 struck. The one late date that carries a real premium even when worn.
- 1955: Lowest mintage in the series: 2,498,181. Look for the "Bugs Bunny" variety, where Franklin's front teeth seem to stick out past his lips.
- 1970-D: The lowest-mintage 40% silver Kennedy: 2,150,000 struck.
Mintages and varieties from APMEX's Walking Liberty half key dates guide, APMEX's Franklin half key dates guide and 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 half dollar?
A 90% silver half dollar holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver; a 40% silver Kennedy half from 1965–1970 holds 0.1479. Enter your counts above for today's value.
Is a 1965 half dollar silver?
Yes. Kennedy halves dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver and hold 0.1479 troy ounces each.
Are 1971 and later half dollars silver?
No. Circulating halves from 1971 on are copper-nickel clad. Only special S-mint silver proofs and some collector issues contain silver.
Sources: APMEX, Walking Liberty half key dates · APMEX, Franklin half key dates · 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.