1971 half dollar
A 1971 half dollar pulled from circulation is copper-nickel clad. There is no silver in it, and its metal content is worth a few cents.
| Issue | Composition | Weight | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
Kennedy half dollar | Copper-nickel clad | 11.34 g | none |
What matters about 1971
Silver disappeared from the half dollar completely. From this year the circulating coin is copper-nickel clad over a copper core.
Identifying it
A 1971 half dollar is a Kennedy, designed by Gilroy Roberts (obverse) and Frank Gasparro (reverse). The obverse shows John F. Kennedy facing left and the reverse the Presidential Seal, or Independence Hall on the Bicentennial issue. It measures 30.6mm across.
Mint mark: Reverse in 1964, none from 1965 to 1967, then obverse below the neck from 1968 onward.
Held side on, a 1971 half shows the copper core as a distinct orange-brown stripe running around the edge. That stripe is the single quickest way to tell a clad half from a silver one. The full check.