1993-P Half Dollar

First half dollar of this year. It is another common type even though it has a low mintage.

For a while I was getting a bunch of half dollars but recently it has been slim pickings. Most of the half dollars I have been finding are from the 70s and 90s. Other years may be more common but they just do not circulate well.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1993-P
Mintage: 15,510,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1973-D Half Dollar

Not the first time i found a coin with this shade of magenta paint on it. It does kind of ruin any extra value the coin may have but this one is common so it does not matter.

I do not know which company colorized these coins but it does not matter. At the end it is a novelty selling for $4.00 or more. Please never buy these as they are considered damaged. Even as art they are worthless since they are mass produced.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1973-D
Mintage: 83,171,400
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1971 Half Dollar

The first of the copper and nickel clad halves were minted for 1971. Controversy about clad coin were mainly they were made of non-precious metal which in some minds meant they are worthless. Unfortunately people do not understand that all coins should always have a lower metal price than face value.

On a good day the metal value of a half dollar coin is about 10 cents. Still add production cost and delivery if this coin was circulating it would triple the price of each coin. That is barely under 50 cents a coin. The thought of aluminum coins is revolting but if it did happen I would be more likely to carry and use large coins like halves and dollars.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1971
Mintage: 155,164,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1990-D Half Dollar

Woo another half dollar. From 1971-2001 the half dollar coins were common and circulated. Since 2002 they have not circulated but they are still considered common. Still finding one in your change is unusual.

Carrying a few halves in my pocket was not comfortable. I know many people carry giant cell phones but they are mostly stable in your pocket. The giant dollar and half dollar coins tend to bang around plus they may scratch that fancy phone. So for the near future I do not see halves as a solution to our coin problem.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1990-D
Mintage: 20,096,242
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1776 - 1976 Half Dollar

The Bicentennial Kennedy Half Dollar was made in 1975 and 1976 in honor of America's birthday. No 1975 half dollars were made and the design for the half dollar coin was changed. Independence Hall of Philadelphia was used and the motto 200 YEARS OF FREEDOM was added.

Despite being popular during the late 1970s they were bulky and soon were seldom seen in circulation in later years. A myth about bicentennial coins is that they were all silver which is not true. A small portion of these coins were made of 40% silver but they have an S mint mark under Kennedy. Ass to that a bunch were melted in 1982 at the mint.

These are common and will likely always have a low value. That said a lot of people, especially young people, have never seen one. They were hoarded at the time and I can only hope that older folks pass them down to the grandchildren to spark a new generation of collectors.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1976
Mintage: 234,308,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1984-D Half Dollar

By 1984 the Kennedy half dollar was already twenty years old and losing favor with most Americans. The size was an issue but the rising use of credit also meant large change was becoming unnecessary.

A generation had passed since Kennedy's assassination and the warm feelings for this coin began to go away. Production fell to a fraction of the 1970s average and continued to fall until they stopped circulation production by 2002. Yes they are still being made and new ones are occasionally still found in your change but they are not popular.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1984-D
Mintage: 26,262,158
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1972-D Half Dollar

Whoever dropped these halves must of known they were all common. No silver or varieties means these were searched and dumped. Still they are over 40 years old and hardly seen in change any more so I am happy with them.

Most modern coin operated machines do not take half dollar coins. Add to that certain cashiers have never seen one these coins and refuse to take them. Even many store managers have not seen themespecially if they are not American born. I will not use them unless I have a real emergency so for now there is no issue. 

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1972-D
Mintage: 141,890,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1972 Half Dollar

Like yesterday this fifty cent coin is common and has no extra value. That being true does not make this any less cool. Still having seven of them in my pocket was a bulky mess.

Fifty cent coins are far from convenient or light. Even back when they were new they were not a popular coin. Generally the size made the coin uncomfortable but also the denomination was odd. Yes we have had 1/2 coins since the beginning of our coinage but in modern times it feels silly. I doubt I am getting the culture of rejecting large coins right but it does exist in America.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1972
Mintage: 153,180,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1971-D Half Dollar

The 1971-D half dollar is the most common of the half dollars and it is no coincidence that I found four at one time. Even including silver halves this one is still the most common by over 100 million.

My cashier friend told me there were 7 halves in the register but I had to buy something to get them as change. Since I did not want the clerk to get in trouble I just bought some cheap candy and paid with a ten dollar bill.

Since the last time I found a half in May I found out that they did make a special half dollar in gold and four in silver from each mint. Nice to see a new interest in half dollars especially since it is the 50th anniversary of the coin. I have found more half dollars this past six months than I have in the past 15 years.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1971-D
Mintage: 302,097,424
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1998-D Half Dollar

Nearly ten years have passed since I last got a half dollar coin in my change. By 2002 they were no longer issued for circulation but even by then they were rarely seen in the wild. Getting this one was a rare treat that hopefully gets repeated.

This is the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy half dollar and as far as I know there are no special ciruclating coins being issued, or any coin. The end of circulating halves has made them especially popular among tourists who also seek two dollar bills as souvenirs. Still I have found non-circulating halves in my change and expect to find more because the still have little extra value.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents / United States
Year: 1998-D
Mintage: 15,064,000
Metal: 91.67% Copper, 8.33% Nickel
Value: $0.50 in EF-40

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1968-S Proof Half Dollar

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Half dollar coins are still difficult to come by in my change so I use to buy them when they were cheap. This one I bought was around face value a few years ago even though it is a proof. The reason is that it was stored improperly and the holes on the holder is giving it nasty tarnish marks.

 

In case you cannot see the problem spots here is a nice close up.

I should take it out of the holder and replace it but it has little value other than metal so no big loss. The plastic of the holder does not show the full coin brilliance but there is some haze on the coin itself.

Half dollars from 1965-1970 are silver clad.

Silver clad means the coin has three layers. The two outer layers are 80% silver and 20% copper while the middle layer is 20.9% silver and 79.1% copper. The total net weight of pure silver is 0.1479 ounces or 40% silver.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 50 Cents - Proof / United States
Year: 1968 S
Mintage: 3,041,506
Metal: 40% Silver, 60% Copper
Value: $4.50 added a few cents because proofs should have extra value

Although the above was another coin from the vault I did find something late yesterday but I will wait to show that one.

Have a fifty cent coin from America and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1941S & 1945S half dollars

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My two newest buys are these half dollars from eBay for a price of $6.02 for both. I've never found a Walker half dollar in my change so I only get them if I buy them.
















The Liberty Walking halves were minted from 1916-1947 they average $7.25 for G-4 and $40.00 for MS-60.The most valuable circulating piece is the 1921D at $325.00 in G-4 or $4,750 in MS-60. The least valuable are most of the years between 1949-1947 at $7.00 in G-4.

The back has the eagle on a perch. (Click on any of the images for a larger view.)

Here's the stats for these two coins....
Year: 1941S
Mintage: 8,098,000
Metal: 90% silver 10% copper
Value: EF-40 $16.00 or AU-50 $20.00

Year: 1945S
Mintages: 10,156,000
Metal: 90% silver 10% copper
Value: VF-20 $15.00

Here's where to find the mintmark on the reverse of a walking liberty half dollar.

Do you have a half dollar coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you

2 Dimes, 2 Halves, 1 Time

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I found these four coins when I got some change back today, I had to ask for the half dollars. There were 12 halves in the register I could only take two because I did have enough money to buy them all.
The dimes are 1943 and 2005P, I choose to show the 2005P because it was the first of this year that I found.

The halves are 1971D and 2002P.

Here's that stats for each coin pictured....
Type: Winged Liberty Head or "Mercury" Dime
Year: 1943
Mintage: 191,710,000
Metal: 90% silver 10% copper
Value: F-12 $2.66

Type: Roosevelt (Clad) Dime
Year: 2005P
Mintage: 1,412,000,000
Metal: 75% copper 25% nickel(Outer Layers), 100% copper(Inner Core)
Value: MS-65 $0.75

Type: Kennedy (Clad) Half
Year: 1971D
Mintage: 302,097,424
Metal: 75% copper 25% nickel
Value: MS-63 $1.25

Type: Kennedy (Clad) Half
Year: 2002P
Mintage: 3,100,000
Metal: 75% copper 25% nickel
Value: MS-65 $2.00
According to the Red Book the 2002 halves were not released for circulation, yet I still found one in my change.

Do you have a pocket find and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

My Newest Coin Is Old

Do you have a commemorative coin and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

I didn't find this one in my change or buy it, instead it was given to me by oreol, I'm a winner. How I got this coin is irrelevant, it is such a cool coin. It is a 1893 Columbian Exposition half dollar.

It is the first commemorative coin the United States ever made. The front has a bust of Columbus and the back has the his flagship the Santa Maria above two hemispheres.

They were originally sold for a dollar at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. Most people thought it was stupid to buy a fifty cent coin for a dollar so many were unsold and put in circulation at face value.

The example above is about MS-60 but it may have been cleaned or "whizzed" and would be worth less then an uncleaned coin, but I don't care. I think it's great, look at it.

There were two years that this coin was minted 1892 and 1893. Along with an Isabella quarter that is rarer.

Here's the stat's for the Columbian Exposition half dollar....
Year: 1892 (Not Pictured)
Mintage: 950,000
Metal: silver
Value: AU-50 $19.00 or MS-60 $32.00

Year: 1893
Mintage: 1,550,405
Metal: silver
Value: AU-50 $17.00 or MS-60 $30.00

Do you have a commemorative coin and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Franklin Halves

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I've never found a Franklin half dollar in my change it is still possible. I have two only because I bought them. These 50 cent pieces were minted from 1948-1963. They are worth about $13.31 in G-4(good) condition or up to $700.00 in MS-65( near perfect condition). Most of the value comes from their silver content exactly .36169 oz. of pure silver.

One of them is the 1955 which goes for $18.00 for a VF-20(very fine) or $65.00 in MS-65. While the most others average $13.31 in VF-20. This is an easy collection to get because the prices are low and few true varieties exist.

Click on the image for a larger image.

The one above is a 1950 in about VF-20 grade.
Here's the stats for that coin...
Year: 1950
Mintage: 7,742,123
Metal: 90% silver %10 copper
Value: VF-20 $13.31

When looking for a mint mark on Franklin Halves look above the bell and below the "E" in STATES on the reverse. There would be a D for Denver or S for San Francisco or nothing for Philadelphia.

Do you have a half dollar and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

1976D Half Dollar

Yeah, my first indirect question.

Stephen Searer of http://www.stephensearer.com/ made a comment on the coin he has at the top right hand side. He owns a nice Bicentennial Kennedy Half Dollar. Here's the stats...

Year: 1776-1976D (the D is for Denver one of the U.S. mints)
Metal: Copper-nickel clad (there is a silver version that exist)
Mintage: 287,565,248 (the most common of all Kennedy Halves)
Value: MS-63 $1.50 (MS is mint state)

Coin grades range generally from 1 to 70, 1 being barely readable and 70 being judged perfect/flawless. Stephen's coin would rank low because it's relatively new yet has lots of surface scratches. So it only has the $0.50 face value maybe as time goes on or if they change the Half Dollar design it may increase in value like the Quarters did.

Thanks for the visit.

Half Dollar Buckets

Do you have a half dollar of any year or country and want to find out its value? Leave a comment and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

I've never been to Las Vegas but I know that Atlantic City and Foxwoods have slot machines pay off in Kennedy Half Dollars. These Kennedy 50 cent pieces are highly circulated because each casino recirculates the coins through their own private machinery.

The last few half dollars I received from casinos were from the 1980's and 1990's worth about face value. The casinos also gets freshly minted coins from the federal government so you can get those almost perfect highly polished coins that are worth more.

The Kennedy Half started in 1964 and made of silver, hundred of millions were made that first year and are not rare but they are valuable for their silver content. The 1964 year is the toughest to find circulating because machines can automatically sense the silver and separate them. At current silver prices a 1964 half is worth $4.71 add the collectible value and it can be up to $6.00.

The news with Kennedy halves is that since 1987 they have either not been issued for circulation or available in extremely limited quantity. The 2002 halves numbered only 5 1/2 million compared to 77 1/2 million in 1980.

I like the faces of cashiers when you try to pay something with half dollars, some are just dumbfounded and must bring their managers to verify the coin.

The most valuable half dollar in low grade condition is the 1987 half at $5.00, but it was never placed in circulation so it may difficult to find in your change but not impossible because it doesn't look different from any other Kennedy Half.

The circulating Bicentennial Half Dollar numbered well over 500 million and is one of the least valuable of the halves at about $1.50 in uncirculated condition.