1965 to 1970 Kennedy Half Dollar Value: Are They Silver?

By Mike Moore. Published Oct 8, 2026. Updated Oct 8, 2026.

Yes. Kennedy half dollars dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver, worth about $8.73 each in melt at today's silver price. Worn ones retail around $13. The 1970-D is scarcer because it was only sold in mint sets. Halves dated 1971 and later have no silver and are worth 50 cents unless uncirculated or an error.

Composition: 40% silver overall. 0.1479 oz of pure silver.
Years: 1965, 1966, 1967 (no mint marks), 1968-D, 1969-D, 1970-D. The 1968-S to 1970-S proofs are 40% silver too.
Mint mark: 1965 to 1967 have none. 1968 to 1970 have the D or S on the front, below the bust and above the date.

Melt value: $8.73. Based on 0.14792 oz of silver at $59.00 per ounce on Oct 8, 2026. Melt value moves with the silver price every day.

Value by grade

40% silver Kennedy half retail values by grade
Coin	Circulated (G4 to AU50)	MS60	MS65
1965, 1966, 1967	$12.92	$13.96	$98
1968-D, 1969-D	$12.92	$13.96	$44
1970-D (2,150,000 made, mint sets only)	$12.92	$32	$98

Retail values from USA Coin Book. Proofs from 1968-S and 1969-S run about $17 in PR65, and 1970-S about $25. Values checked Oct 8, 2026.

What to look for

Check the date first. Only 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. 1964 is 90%. 1971 and later have none.
The edge of a 40% half looks mostly silver gray with a faint darker line. A 1971 or later half shows a bright copper stripe.
A 1970-D in uncirculated condition is worth more than the other years.

Fakes and lookalikes

Counterfeits are rare at this price. The common mix-up is a clad 1971 or later coin. Weigh it: 40% halves weigh 11.50 grams, clad halves 11.34 grams.

Find the keepers in your coin jar

Dime Hound is a coin scanner for iPhone and Android. Snap a coin, get the year, mint mark and an honest value range, and it tells you plainly when a coin is worth face value. Join the list and we'll email you once, the day it launches.

Free. One email when we launch. No spam.

FAQ

Are 1965 half dollars silver?

Yes, 40% silver. They hold 0.1479 oz of silver, about $8.73 at $59.00 an ounce on Oct 8, 2026.

Are 1971 half dollars silver?

Circulation 1971 halves are copper-nickel clad with no silver. They are worth 50 cents unless uncirculated or an error.

Why is the 1970-D half worth more?

Denver made only 2,150,000 and they were sold in mint sets, not released for circulation.

Is the 1776 to 1976 bicentennial half silver?

Only the 40% silver S-mint coins sold in collector sets. The ones from circulation are clad.

Related coins

Sources

Values are retail estimates or recorded sale prices from the sources above, checked Oct 8, 2026. What a dealer pays you is usually less than retail. Silver spot traded between about $58.70 and $60.40 on Oct 8, 2026. We use $59.00 an ounce for melt math.

Also available as Markdown.