Kennedy half dollar value: silver years, key dates and varieties

A 1964 Kennedy half is 90% silver, and 1965–1970 halves are 40% silver, so all of them are worth more than face value. From 1971 most are copper-nickel clad; the ones to look for are the 1970-D, the 1974-D doubled die and the 1964 accented hair proof.

By the Coin Scanner team · Updated 2026-10-13

Have one of these coins? Scan it with Coin Scanner for an instant ID and an estimated value. App Store →

A memorial coin made in a hurry

After President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, the plan to honor him on a coin moved fast. PCGS notes that the quarter was considered first, but Jacqueline Kennedy asked that Washington stay on it, so the half dollar was chosen and the Franklin design was retired early. President Johnson signed the law on December 30, 1963. According to the Mint's own letter at the time, the portrait is by Chief Sculptor Gilroy Roberts (his GR initials are on the truncation of the bust) and the reverse, based on the Presidential Coat of Arms, is by Frank Gasparro (FG at the lower right of the shield). The first 26 million coins went to the Federal Reserve on March 24, 1964.

Silver content by year

• 1964 and 1964-D: 90% silver, 10% copper, 12.50 grams. PCGS lists mintages of 273,304,004 (Philadelphia) and 156,205,446 (Denver). They are common, but each one carries real silver value.
• 1965–1970: 40% silver, per PCGS. They contain less silver than a 1964 half but are still worth more than face value.
• 1971 on: the Mint removed silver from circulating halves. These are copper-nickel clad, with a visible copper stripe on the edge, and 11.34 grams for current coins.
• Collector exceptions: silver proofs returned in 1992, and 40% silver versions were sold for the bicentennial. Our silver guide explains edge and weight checks.

Key dates and varieties

Mintages are from PCGS CoinFacts, except the bicentennial total, which is from the U.S. Mint.

1970-D: the mint-set half

In 1970 Denver was the only mint making uncirculated Kennedy halves, and they were sold only inside that year's Mint Sets, which cost about $2.50. PCGS notes that tens of thousands of sets were broken up to get the half, and it lists the 1970-D as the lowest-mintage business strike from 1964 to 2005. According to PCGS's auction records, the top price for the date was about $7,495, paid for a PCGS MS67 example in an eBay auction in March 2023; ordinary uncirculated coins bring far less.

1964 accented hair proof

The first 1964 proofs were struck from a die with more pronounced hair lines above Kennedy's ear. PCGS reports that Mrs. Kennedy asked for those strands to be softened, so the die was changed the same year, and that fewer than 5% of 1964 proofs are believed to show the accented hair. Check the I in LIBERTY: on this variety most of its lower left serif is missing. The PCGS auction record is $46,800 for a PR69 deep cameo, sold by Heritage in January 2024; typical examples are far below that.

1974-D doubled die obverse

PCGS calls this the only major doubled die in the Kennedy series. The doubling is easiest to see on the word TRUST. Because it is a Denver clad coin from a large mintage, it is worth checking every 1974-D you come across.

1976 bicentennial and 2014 anniversary issues

For the bicentennial, Seth Huntington's Independence Hall design replaced the eagle; the half was released July 7, 1975, and all are dated 1776–1976. For the 50th anniversary in 2014 the Mint struck a three-quarter-ounce, 24-karat gold proof at West Point with the dual date 1964–2014, plus a four-coin 90% silver set.

Are Kennedy halves still made?

Since 2002, the Mint has made half dollars mainly for annual sets and other collector products, though the Federal Reserve can still order them for circulation. The Mint lists the Kennedy design through 2025; for 2026 it was replaced, for one year only, by a semiquincentennial design.

Where is the mint mark?

On 1964 coins the D is on the reverse, in the angle between the eagle's claw and the stem of the olive branch; Philadelphia coins have none. The Coinage Act of 1965 removed mint marks, so 1965–1967 halves have none, just like the Washington quarters of those years. From 1968 the mark sits on the obverse, centered under Kennedy's portrait above the date (see our mint mark guide for other coins). The 1968 proofs, struck in San Francisco, were the first to carry an S.

How to check your half dollar

1. Read the date. 1964 means 90% silver; 1965–1970 means 40%.
2. Look at the edge. A bright copper stripe points to a copper-nickel clad coin from 1971 or later.
3. Find the mint mark in the right place for the year. A 1970 half with a D is the one to set aside.
4. Check the varieties: TRUST on 1974-D coins, the hair and the I in LIBERTY on 1964 proofs.
5. Scan both sides with Coin Scanner. The app reads the date and mint mark and gives an estimated value range for that issue.

What drives value

For 1964–1970 halves, silver content sets a floor. Above that, condition decides almost everything: full luster, few contact marks and good strike detail separate a common coin from a premium one. Recognized varieties and proof cameo contrast add more. Values change with the silver market and with demand, so treat any figure as an estimate and have potentially valuable coins graded by PCGS or NGC.

Check your coin in seconds

Coin Scanner identifies a coin from a photo of both sides, reads the date and mint mark, and gives an estimated value range so you know whether it deserves a closer look.