1987 half dollar
A 1987 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 1987
Half dollars dated 1987 were sold only in mint sets and were not released into circulation.
Identifying it
A 1987 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 1987 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.