Half Dollar — Complete U.S. Half Dollar Series Guide & Values
Flowing Hair to Kennedy • 230+ Years of American Silver & Clad Coinage
Value Overview by Series
Values shown are broad approximate ranges for common-date circulated examples within each series. See each series' dedicated guide for complete date-by-date values and key dates.
| Series | Years | Composition | Common Date Range | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowing Hair / Draped Bust / Capped Bust | 1794–1839 | 90% Silver | $100–$500+ | View Guide → |
| Seated Liberty | 1839–1891 | 90% Silver | $75–$200+ | View Guide → |
| Barber | 1892–1915 | 90% Silver | $15–$50+ | View Guide → |
| Walking Liberty | 1916–1947 | 90% Silver | $15–$40+ | Shop eBay → |
| Franklin | 1948–1963 | 90% Silver | $12–$25+ | View Guide → |
| Kennedy (silver era) | 1964–1970 | 90% / 40% Silver | $8–$15+ | View Guide → |
| Kennedy (clad era) | 1971–present | Copper-Nickel Clad | $0.50–$2+ | View Guide → |
The History of the U.S. Half Dollar
The half dollar has been struck in nearly every year since 1794, making it one of the longest-running denominations in American coinage history — a 230-year span that has seen the coin pass through nearly every major design era of U.S. numismatics, from the earliest Flowing Hair silver coinage authorized under the Coinage Act of 1792 through today's Kennedy half dollar. One notable exception is 1816, when a fire destroyed the rolling mills at the Philadelphia Mint and halted half dollar production for the entire year — any half dollar bearing that date is a counterfeit or altered coin. Valued at fifty cents, the half dollar occupied a genuinely important role in American commerce for most of its history, particularly in the 19th century when it represented a meaningful sum for everyday transactions.
Across its long run, the half dollar has been struck in 90% silver (1794–1964), a transitional 40% silver composition (1965–1970), and the modern copper-nickel clad composition used since 1971. This progression of design changes and metal composition shifts means the half dollar series, taken as a whole, offers one of the most complete and historically rich overviews of American monetary history available in a single denomination — making it a natural entry point for collectors interested in tracing the full arc of U.S. coin design.
Every U.S. Half Dollar Series
The half dollar denomination encompasses eight major design types across its history. Click any series below for a dedicated guide with date-by-date values, key dates, and grading information.
Early Half Dollars
Seated Liberty
Barber
Franklin
Kennedy
Half Dollar Error Coins
Full Coin Price Guide
Silver Bullion Guide
Silver Content Across the Series
Understanding the half dollar's changing metal composition is essential for both collectors and anyone evaluating a coin's bullion value. From 1794 through 1964, half dollars were struck in 90% silver, giving pre-1965 examples approximately 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver — meaning even the most common circulated dates carry real melt value well above face value at current silver prices. In 1965, facing a national silver shortage as bullion prices rose, the Mint transitioned briefly to a 40% silver composition for the Kennedy half dollar (1965–1970) before moving to the fully clad, silver-free composition used from 1971 to today.
This means date recognition alone tells you a great deal about a half dollar's intrinsic value: any half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver, any dated 1965–1970 is 40% silver, and any dated 1971 or later contains no silver at all. This simple rule of thumb is one of the most useful pieces of knowledge for anyone sorting through inherited coins or evaluating a found half dollar's baseline worth before considering numismatic premiums.
Collecting the Half Dollar Denomination
The half dollar's exceptional 230-year design history makes it a rewarding denomination for type collectors specifically — building a complete type set with one representative example of each major design (Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, Capped Bust, Seated Liberty, Barber, Walking Liberty, Franklin, and Kennedy) provides a genuinely comprehensive overview of American coin design evolution in a single, manageable collecting project. Because common-date examples of most later series are widely available and affordable, a complete type set is achievable for most collectors without requiring pursuit of the denomination's rarest key dates.
For collectors focused on silver content and bullion value, pre-1965 half dollars (commonly called "junk silver" in the bullion trade when in worn, non-collectible condition) offer a straightforward way to acquire meaningful silver holdings while still retaining some numismatic character. PCGS and NGC both grade half dollars across every series, and certification becomes increasingly important as coin value rises — particularly for the earlier 18th and 19th century types where authentication and condition assessment carry more weight.
Where to Buy Half Dollars
eBay — All Half Dollar Series
eBay — 90% Silver Half Dollars
JM Bullion
Kitco
Money Metals Exchange
SD Bullion
Silver Gold Bull
FRC Coin Price Guide
Find Half Dollars on eBayMoney Back Guarantee
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the oldest half dollar series?
The Flowing Hair half dollar, struck in 1794 and 1795, is the earliest series — one of the very first coins struck by the newly established United States Mint under the Coinage Act of 1792. It was quickly followed by the Draped Bust design (1796–1807) and then the Capped Bust type (1807–1839). These three earliest types are collectively referred to as "Early Half Dollars" and are covered together in our dedicated Early Half Dollars guide given their shared collecting characteristics and generally higher entry-level values.
How can I tell if my half dollar is silver?
The date tells you almost everything you need to know. Any half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver. Kennedy half dollars dated 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver (a transitional composition used during a national silver shortage). Any half dollar dated 1971 or later is copper-nickel clad and contains no silver at all. This simple date-based rule applies across every series and is the fastest way to evaluate a half dollar's baseline bullion value before considering any numismatic premium.
What is the most valuable half dollar series?
Early Half Dollars (Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, and Capped Bust, 1794–1839) generally command the highest values as a series overall, given their age, historical significance, and relative scarcity compared to later 19th and 20th century half dollars. Within any individual series, however, specific key dates can be dramatically more valuable than the series' typical range — for example, certain Seated Liberty Carson City issues or scarce Barber dates can rival or exceed early half dollar values despite being numerically "later" coins.
Why did the Kennedy half dollar composition change in 1965 and again in 1971?
Rising silver prices in the early 1960s made it increasingly likely that circulating 90% silver coins would be melted for their metal value rather than used in commerce — a genuine threat to the nation's coin supply. In response, the Coinage Act of 1965 reduced the half dollar to 40% silver as a transitional compromise. By 1971, even this reduced silver content had become impractical given continued price pressure, and the Mint switched permanently to the copper-nickel clad composition used for circulating half dollars today.
Are old half dollars a good investment?
Pre-1965 half dollars carry genuine silver bullion value (0.3617 troy ounces for common dates) that provides a price floor independent of numismatic factors, while scarcer dates and better-preserved examples carry additional collector premiums. Whether they represent a "good investment" depends on both silver price performance and numismatic market trends, which we cannot predict — we recommend consulting a qualified financial advisor before making significant purchases. Many collectors pursue half dollars primarily for historical and numismatic interest rather than as a pure investment vehicle.
What is a good starting point for collecting half dollars?
Building a type set — one representative example of each major design across the denomination's 230-year history — is one of the most popular and achievable half dollar collecting goals, since common-date examples of the more recent series (Franklin, Kennedy) are widely available and affordable. From there, many collectors specialize further into a specific series (such as Barber or Walking Liberty) to pursue that series' complete date-and-mintmark run and key dates in greater depth.
A Buyer's Guide to Barber Silver Coins - The book gives advice and instructions on grading and smart collecting, along with retail prices in up to 12 grades (including Proofs)
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