1976 half dollar
A 1976 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 |
Bicentennial silver collectors' issue (S) Sold in three-piece silver sets. Dated 1776-1976 like the circulating version. | 40% silver | 11.50 g | 0.1479 ozt |
What matters about 1976
The Bicentennial issue, carrying the dual date 1776-1976 and Independence Hall on the reverse in place of the Presidential Seal.
Struck in enormous numbers over two years, so an ordinary circulated Bicentennial half is worth fifty cents despite being widely believed to be rare.
Identifying it
A 1976 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 1976 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.