Every composition, every weight
Nine different specifications in two hundred and thirty years. Silver weight is calculated from the statutory weight and fineness rather than transcribed, so it cannot drift from the source.
| Series | Years | Fineness | Weight | Silver | Melt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowing Hair | 1794-1795 | 89.24% silver | 13.48 g | 0.3868 ozt | $26.58 |
| Draped Bust | 1796-1807 | 89.24% silver | 13.48 g | 0.3868 ozt | $26.58 |
| Capped Bust | 1807-1836 | 89.24% silver | 13.48 g | 0.3868 ozt | $26.58 |
| Capped Bust | 1836-1839 | 90% silver | 13.36 g | 0.3866 ozt | $26.57 |
| Seated Liberty | 1839-1853 | 90% silver | 13.36 g | 0.3866 ozt | $26.57 |
| Seated Liberty | 1853-1873 | 90% silver | 12.44 g | 0.3600 ozt | $24.74 |
| Seated Liberty | 1873-1891 | 90% silver | 12.50 g | 0.3617 ozt | $24.86 |
| Barber | 1892-1915 | 90% silver | 12.50 g | 0.3617 ozt | $24.86 |
| Walking Liberty | 1916-1947 | 90% silver | 12.50 g | 0.3617 ozt | $24.86 |
| Franklin | 1948-1963 | 90% silver | 12.50 g | 0.3617 ozt | $24.86 |
| Kennedy | 1964 | 90% silver | 12.50 g | 0.3617 ozt | $24.86 |
| Kennedy | 1965-1970 | 40% silver | 11.50 g | 0.1479 ozt | $10.16 |
| Kennedy | 1971-2026 | no | 11.34 g | none | - |
How these are calculated
Actual silver weight is weight in grams multiplied by fineness, divided by 31.1034768, the number of grams in a troy ounce. A 90% silver half weighs 12.50 grams, so it holds 11.25 grams of pure silver, which is 0.3617 troy ounces.
Melt value is that figure multiplied by the live silver spot price. It is the value of the metal and nothing else: not an offer, not a catalogue value, and not what a dealer will pay.
The collector issues
Three specifications sit outside the circulating series above. San Francisco struck a 90% silver proof half dollar for the annual silver proof set from 1992 to 2018, and a 99.9% fine silver one from 2019 onward. The 1976 Bicentennial was also sold in a 40% silver collector version. All three are set-only issues and none of them circulated.