The United States Half Dollar Coin Characteristics

Composition

• The original half-dollar coins were minted mostly out of silver. Up until 1964, the composition of a U.S. half-dollar coin was roughly 90 percent silver to 10 percent copper. Because of the growing value of silver, the silver content of the core of the half dollar was reduced to 21 percent and the silver content of the outer layer was reduced to 80 percent in 1965 (the second year of the Kennedy half dollar). In 1971, the silver content was completely removed from the half dollar. Instead, the coin was minted with a 100 percent copper core and a 75 percent copper to 25 percent nickel outer layer. As of 2011, this composition is still used when minting U.S. half dollars.

Size

• Early U.S. half-dollar coins weighed 13.48 grams and had a diameter of 32.5 mm. Starting with the reeded-edge half dollar in 1836, the weight of the coin dropped to 13.36 grams with a 30 mm diameter. The Liberty seated half dollar that followed the reeded-edge coin maintained the same weight, but was 0.6 mm longer in diameter. Halfway through the production of the Liberty seated half dollar (in 1853), the weight of the coin was reduced to 12.44 grams. The coin remained roughly this size until the Kennedy half dollar was introduced in 1964. The diameter remains 30.6 mm for a this coin, but the weight was dropped to 11.5 grams, and then to 11.34 grams when the silver was completely removed (1971).

Images

• Up until the Franklin half dollar in 1947, an image of Lady Liberty adorned the obverse of the half-dollar coin, and an image of an eagle was depicted on the reverse. Almost 10 different variations of this basic theme were used, including the beautiful and popular walking Liberty design (1916 to 1947). Ben Franklin is on the front of the Franklin half dollar, while the Liberty Bell is shown on the back. The Kennedy half dollar (which is still in circulation as of 2011) has an image of John F. Kennedy facing left beneath the word "Liberty" on the obverse. An eagle and a shield decorate the back of the coin, along with the words "United States of America" and "Half Dollar."

Other Characteristics

• The Kennedy half dollar coin has 150 reeds along its edge. When the Kennedy half dollar first came into production, it was not uncommon for the mint to produce up to 300 million pieces for circulation. Production has dropped off steadily since, and only 3.5 million half dollar coins were minted in 2010.