Kennedy Half Dollars Silver Clad 1965-1970

About This Series

Transitional coins that bridged the silver and clad eras of American coinage, Kennedy half dollars from 1965 to 1970 were struck in a unique 40% silver clad composition — an outer layer of 80% silver bonded to an inner core of 21% silver. This compromise composition reflected the government's effort to gradually wean American coinage from silver while maintaining some precious metal content in the popular Kennedy denomination. The 1965-1967 issues lack mintmarks entirely, a deliberate Treasury Department decision to discourage the speculative hoarding that had depleted silver coins from circulation in the early 1960s. Mintmarks returned in 1968, with Denver and San Francisco striking coins bearing D and S marks respectively. The 1970-D is the series' standout rarity — distributed exclusively in Mint Sets, it is genuinely scarce in high grades. Struck at 30.6mm and 11.50 grams, these coins contain approximately 4.6 grams of silver each, giving them modest intrinsic value above face. The silver clad composition is visually distinguishable from later copper-nickel clad issues by the silver-gray edge without the visible copper stripe of post-1970 clad coins. These transitional Kennedy halves document a pivotal moment when the United States permanently severed the link between circulating coinage and precious metals.