40% Silver Kennedy Half Dollars

Lowest Price Per Ounce of Any Silver Product!

When the US Mint abandoned silver coinage, they didn't do it all at once. The Kennedy half dollars, or 50 cent pieces, were minted using 40% silver from 1965 - 1970. Meanwhile, dimes and quarters which had been 90% silver, were produced as clad coins with zero silver content starting in 1965.

The half dollar featuring John F. Kennedy was actually first issued in 1964, at 90% purity. Production began just prior to the decision to eliminate the silver standard in US coins. The coin was designed to honor Kennedy who was assassinated in November 1963. Congress authorized the new design within a month of Kennedy's death and the Mint began production in January 1964.

The coins did not circulate very successfully. Americans tended to hoard the coins, both because of the precious metals content and because they were a momento of the popular president. Later, the rising silver price resulted in many of these coins being melted and converted to other silver products.

The good news for silver investors is that these coins often have less wear than the more popular 90% silver coins, which circulated more widely over a longer period of time. And they are almost always the cheapest option when it comes to silver, especially when it comes to official US silver coinage.

40% half dollars often sell at a discount to their melt value. That's right, 40% halves are just about the only way to buy silver below the spot price. They are not always available, but when inventory is available it tends to move quickly!