With half dollars, the date tells you almost everything. Any half dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver — worth $10 to $35+ in any condition — and even 1965–1970 halves are 40% silver, the only U.S. coins ever made that way. Clad halves from 1971 on are mostly face value, but key varieties reach five figures and the all-time record is $1.68 million. Check your half dollar’s year below, or snap a photo and let our identifier do it for you.
Check a Half Dollar by Year
Enter any year from 1794 to 2025 to identify your half dollar’s series, see its silver content and key varieties, and jump to its full value chart.
Half Dollar Value Checker by Picture
Check How Much Your Half Dollar Coin is Worth
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Free · No sign-up required · Works for Kennedy, Franklin, Walking Liberty, Barber, and Seated Liberty half dollars. Not sure which design or variety you have? A photo of both sides is the fastest way to find out.
The Most Valuable Half Dollars: Key Dates, Errors & Varieties
These are the half dollars collectors pay serious money for, from America’s earliest silver to Kennedy varieties you can still pull from bank rolls. Each falls into one of three groups: Key Dates (low-mintage issues that are scarce in any condition), Errors (mistakes at the mint, like missing designer initials), and Varieties (die differences and special strikes). Highlighted rows can reach five figures and beyond.
| Coin | Series | Why it’s valuable | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1797 Draped Bust | Draped Bust | Key Date The rarest half dollar design — fewer than 200 survive | $1,680,000 auction record (2021) |
| 1964 SMS Kennedy | Kennedy | Variety Mysterious satin special strike — only about a dozen known | $7,250 – $184,000 |
| 1918-D | Walking Liberty | Key Date Almost never found sharply struck — the series record holder | $55+ worn · $340,750 record |
| 1919-D | Walking Liberty | Key Date A famous condition rarity — expensive in every high grade | $78+ worn · up to $322,000 MS |
| 1921 / 1921-D / 1921-S | Walking Liberty | Key Date Recession-year mintages from all three mints — THE Walking Liberty keys | $110+ worn · up to $253,000 MS |
| 1892-O Micro O | Barber | Variety A tiny O mint mark punch meant for quarters — rare in any grade | $4,140+ worn · up to $230,000 MS |
| 1904-S | Barber | Key Date Just 553,038 struck — brutal to find above Fine | $87+ worn · up to $101,200 MS |
| 1916 & 1916-S | Walking Liberty | Key Date First year, with the mint mark on the front of the coin | $64+ worn · up to $78,200 MS |
| 1953-S Full Bell Lines | Franklin | Variety The ultimate Franklin strike rarity — complete lines on the Liberty Bell | $34+ · five figures with FBL |
| 1961 Doubled Die Reverse Proof | Franklin | Variety Dramatic doubling on E PLURIBUS UNUM — check 1961 proof sets | $480 – $16,100 |
| 1970-D | Kennedy | Key Date Sold only in mint sets — the scarcest 40% silver Kennedy | $10+ · up to $6,210 MS |
| 1972-D No FG | Kennedy | Error Designer’s FG initials missing under the eagle — found in rolls | $41+ worn · up to $4,140 MS |
| 1998-S Matte Finish | Kennedy | Variety Special matte strike from the Kennedy Collector’s Set | $47 – $340 |
| 2014-W Gold Proof | Kennedy | Key Date 50th-anniversary issue struck in 3/4 oz of gold | $2,000 – $3,770 |
Auction records verified against PCGS/Stack’s Bowers/Heritage sales · Kennedy/Franklin/Walking Liberty/Barber data from our year charts, updated 2026-08-25 · Tap any coin for the full grade-by-grade breakdown
Want the complete lists? See the Top 100 Kennedy Half Dollars, Top 62 Walking Liberty Halves, Top 35 Franklin Halves, Top 11 Half Dollars in Circulation, and the full Half Dollar Error List.
Half Dollar Value Charts by Series
Every U.S. half dollar belongs to one of these main series. Find yours below to see what to look for and jump to detailed values.
Kennedy Half Dollar
- Common datesFace value (clad, 1971+)
- Key finds1964 SMS · 1970-D · 1972-D No FG
- Silver years1964 (90%) · 1965–70 (40%)
Franklin Half Dollar
- Common dates$16 – $34 (90% silver)
- Key finds1949-S · 1953-S FBL · 1955
- Top value$17,000 (1950 proof)
Walking Liberty Half Dollar
- Common dates$36+ (90% silver)
- Key dates1916-S · 1919-D · 1921-P/D/S
- Top value$340,750 (1918-D record)
Barber Half Dollar
- Common dates$50 – $130 (90% silver)
- Key dates1892-O Micro O · 1904-S · 1915
- Top value$230,000 (1892-O Micro O)
Seated Liberty Half Dollar
- Common dates$30 – $100
- Key datesCarson City (CC) · 1853-O
- Top valueSix figures (rare dates)
How to Check What Your Half Dollar Is Worth
Check the date for silver
1964 or earlier = 90% silver ($10–$35+ in any condition). 1965–1970 = 40% silver ($5+). 1971 onward = clad, face value unless it has a variety. The edge tells you instantly: solid silver color vs. a copper stripe.
Look for varieties and errors
On Kennedys, check under the eagle’s left leg for the FG initials (missing on the 1972-D No FG) and check 1964 proofs for the Accented Hair. On Franklins, look for Full Bell Lines. On Walking Liberties, check the mint mark position.
Judge the condition
Silver halves near melt value jump 10× or more in Mint State. A common 1964 Kennedy is $33 circulated — but the same coin in top grade brings hundreds, and strike designations like FBL multiply Franklin values many times over.
Found Something Valuable? Do This Next
Don’t clean it. Cleaning permanently damages a coin’s surface and can cut its value by half or more — grading services can always tell.
Get it graded if it’s worth $100+. Professional grading by PCGS or NGC authenticates the coin and certifies its condition. For Franklins, a Full Bell Lines designation can turn a $34 coin into a four-figure one, and anything resembling a 1964 SMS Kennedy absolutely requires certification — the difference is worth tens of thousands.
Compare selling options. Rare dates and certified coins do best at auction or with specialist dealers; common silver halves typically sell in bulk by silver content. Check recent sold prices for your exact date, mint mark, and grade before accepting an offer.
Half Dollar Value FAQ
What is the most valuable half dollar?
The 1797 Draped Bust half dollar — the rarest design in the denomination, with fewer than 200 survivors — holds the record at $1,680,000, set at Stack’s Bowers in 2021. Among 20th-century coins, the 1918-D Walking Liberty has brought $340,750, and the legendary 1964 SMS Kennedy runs $7,250 to $184,000 with only about a dozen known.
Which half dollars are silver?
Every half dollar dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver, containing 0.36169 troy ounces — the largest silver content of any circulating U.S. coin of its era. Uniquely, halves dated 1965–1970 are 40% silver, a composition no other circulating U.S. coin ever used. From 1971 onward they’re copper-nickel clad, except silver proofs sold in premium sets since 1992.
Is a 1964 Kennedy half dollar worth anything?
Yes — every 1964 Kennedy is 90% silver, worth $10–$33+ even heavily circulated. Beyond silver value, check proofs for the Accented Hair variety ($34–$920), look for doubled dies, and know that the ultra-rare 1964 SMS special strike — satin surfaces, razor-sharp details — runs $7,250 to $184,000. High-grade regular strikes also carry strong premiums.
Why don’t I ever see half dollars in change?
Mass hoarding of the silver 1964 Kennedys effectively removed the denomination from circulation, and from 2002 through 2020 the Mint struck halves for collectors only — none were released for commerce. Circulation strikes resumed in 2021, but banks rarely stock them. That’s actually good news for searchers: bank rolls of half dollars still regularly yield 40% silver coins and varieties.
Is a Bicentennial half dollar worth anything?
The 1776–1976 Independence Hall halves were struck by the hundreds of millions, so circulated clad examples are worth face value. The valuable ones are the San Francisco 40% silver collector versions ($5+, up to $15,600 in top grade) and high-grade clad examples. Note there is no 1975-dated half dollar — every half from those two years carries the dual date.
Should I clean my old half dollars before selling them?
No. Cleaning removes the original surface and leaves marks that grading services flag as damage. A cleaned key-date coin can lose 50% or more of its value. Leave the coin exactly as you found it and let a professional evaluate it.
How we price half dollars: values on this page and in our year-by-year charts are compiled from recent auction records, certified-coin sales, and dealer price lists, and are refreshed regularly by our pricing system. Figures represent typical retail values; actual offers vary with grade, strike quality (Full Bell Lines on Franklins), and the silver market. For coins potentially worth $100 or more, we recommend professional authentication by PCGS or NGC before selling.
