1776 to 1976 Bicentennial Half Dollar Coin Value (Errors List, “D”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth)

Are you a JFK enthusiast? Have you discovered a 1776 to 1976 half dollar with the late president’s portrait and wondered whether it is worth anything?

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was undoubtedly one of the most famous United States presidents. So, anything bearing his portrait is bound to be equally popular.

But is the Bicentennial Kennedy half dollar worth much? As you will find out, this coin is not rare; you can easily find it in your pocket change, but some errors can be worth hundreds of dollars!

Read on to learn everything you need about the 1776 to 1976 half dollar value. At the end of the article, you will make a smart decision as to whether the Kennedy half dollar is worth collecting.

Let’s get started!

 

1776 to 1976 Half Dollar Value Chart
Mint mark	Good	Fine	Extremely Fine	Uncirculated
1776 to 1976 Half Dollar No Mint Mark Value	$1	$1	$2	$3
1776 to 1976 Half Dollar D Value	–	–	$2	$6
1776 to 1976 Half Dollar S (Regular, Proof) Value	–	–	–	–
1776 to 1976 Half Dollar S (Regular, Silver)	$7	$7	$7	$8
1776 to 1976 Half Dollar S (Silver, Proof)	–	–	–	Deep Cameo: $7

History of the 1776 to 1976 Half Dollar

1776 is a landmark year in American history. Thirteen colonies broke free from British rule and issued the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Fast forward to 1976, and the country hit a big milestone: 200 years of independence. Federal and state governments went all out with celebrations to mark the anniversary.

Congress approved minting three special Bicentennial coins for the occasion: the Eisenhower Dollar, the Kennedy Half Dollar, and the Washington Quarter. The U.S. Mint struck and released all three into circulation in 1976, replacing the regular designs for that one year only.

Today, we’re focusing on the 1776 to 1976 Kennedy half dollar.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35^th president and the youngest ever elected to the office. A Harvard graduate and Navy veteran, he went from Democratic Congressman to Senator, then won a first-ballot presidential nomination. He beat Republican Richard Nixon in a tight race.

One of his most famous lines: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

JFK was assassinated on November 22, 1963, barely a thousand days into his presidency. His memory lives on, and he remains one of the most celebrated presidents of all time.

Also read: 13 Most Valuable Franklin Half Dollars Worth Money

Features of 1776 to 1976 Half Dollar

You’ll also hear this coin called the Bicentennial half dollar, the Bicentennial Kennedy half dollar, or the 1776 to 1976 Kennedy half dollar.

Here’s what to look for:

Obverse of 1776 to 1976 Half Dollar

Flip the coin to heads and you’ll see Kennedy’s left-facing portrait front and center.

LIBERTY runs along the upper rim. The dual date 1776-1976 curves along the bottom, marking 200 years of independence from British rule.

The motto IN GOD WE TRUST also appears on this side. Look just below Kennedy’s truncated neck and you’ll spot the initials GR—those belong to Gilroy Roberts, who designed and engraved the obverse.

Reverse of 1776 to 1976 Half Dollar

Flip it over and you’ll see Independence Hall—the building where the Founding Fathers debated and adopted both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Right below the building it reads INDEPENDENCE HALL. Underneath that, look for a slight half-curve of thirteen stars representing the original thirteen states.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the top rim. HALF DOLLAR runs along the bottom. To the left of Independence Hall you’ll see 200 YEARS OF FREEDOM, and to the right is E PLURIBUS UNUM.

Seth G. Huntington engraved the reverse. His initials, SGH, sit just below E PLURIBUS UNUM.

Other Features of 1776 to 1976 Half Dollar

This is a circulating commemorative coin produced in 1976. The core is pure copper, clad in 75% Copper and 25% Nickel.

It weighs 11.30 grams with a diameter of 31.00 millimetres and a thickness of 2.15 millimetres. The edge is reeded.

The Kennedy Bicentennial half dollar was minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Philadelphia coins carry no mint mark. Denver and San Francisco coins have a D or S on the obverse, just below Kennedy’s truncated neck.

Watch this video to learn more about this fascinating Bicentennial coin.

Also read: 13 Most Valuable Kennedy Half Dollar Worth Money

1776 to 1976 Half Dollar Value Guides

Five varieties exist for this coin. Condition drives the value—circulated examples trail uncirculated ones by a wide margin.

• 1776 to 1976 Half Dollar No Mint Mark
• 1776 to 1976 D Half Dollar
• 1776 to 1976 S Half Dollar (Clad, Proof)
• 1776 to 1976 S Half Dollar (Silver, Regular)
• 1776 to 1976 S Half Dollar (Silver, Proof)

1776 to 1976 Half Dollar No Mint Mark Value

With roughly 234,308,000 struck, you’d think these would never be worth more than face value. Most of the time, you’d be right.

Philadelphia dumped a massive number into circulation, so finding one in your pocket change is no big deal. In circulated grades, expect about $1—barely above face. An About Uncirculated piece might bring $2.

The jump happens once you get into true uncirculated territory. A low-grade mint state coin runs $3 to $4. But here’s the thing: because so many were spent and handled, genuinely untouched examples are tough to find. Coins graded MS63 to MS70 can climb fast.

PCGS records show the top sale for a no-mint-mark 1776 to 1976 half dollar was an MS64 that brought $3,150.

1776 to 1976 D Half Dollar Value

Did you know Denver actually outproduced Philadelphia on this one? About 287,565,248 D-mint halves were struck—over 50 million more than Philly.

That huge mintage means circulated examples are everywhere. Your average circulated 1776 to 1976 D half dollar is worth about $2. If it’s heavily worn with bag marks and dings, you’re looking at closer to face value of $0.5.

Uncirculated pieces are where things get interesting. An MS60 runs about $6. Jump to MS65 and you’re in the $30 range. The record sale? A 1776 to 1976 D half dollar sold for $8,400 in 2024. That’s a huge gap between a pocket-change coin and a top-pop specimen.

1776 to 1976 S Half Dollar Value (Proof)

If you’ve never held a proof Kennedy half dollar, you’re missing out. These were made to look stunning—and they deliver.

San Francisco struck approximately 7,059,099 clad proofs using specially prepared dies. The result is razor-sharp detail and brilliant mirror-like fields. Because they were sold directly to collectors, you won’t find these in circulation.

A 1976 Kennedy half dollar proof is worth about $8 at PF67. Push to the top of the grading scale and the value climbs to $18.

1776 to 1976 S Half Dollar (Silver, Regular)

Here’s a question collectors often ask: “Is my Bicentennial half dollar silver?” Most aren’t—but some are.

San Francisco struck approximately 11,000,000 silver Kennedy half dollars in 1976. These were never released into circulation. You could only get them in a special 3-piece mint set sold to collectors. The composition is a 79% copper and 21% silver core with a clad of 80% silver and 20% copper.

At MS60, these silver halves run about $8. MS65 examples bring around $22. The real prizes are ultra-high-grade pieces—an MS68 can fetch as much as $100.

The record holder? A coin graded MS69 that sold for $9,600 in 2022. I think these silver strikes are underappreciated for what they are.

The 1776 to 1976 S Half Dollar (Silver, Proof)

Only about 4,000,000 silver proofs came out of San Francisco, sharing the same composition as the regular strike Kennedy half dollars.

A PF70 specimen sold for $4,370 in 2003. Coins at that grade are extremely scarce. If you’ve got one slabbed at PF70, you’re sitting on something special.

Also read: 11 Most Valuable Half Dollars In Circulation

1776 to 1796 Half Dollar Grading

The 1796 Kennedy half dollar grading comes down to condition. Circulated coins show wear, mushy details, and sometimes missing letters. That all drags the value down.

Uncirculated Bicentennial halves are harder to come by. You want full luster, minimal bag marks, and strong eye appeal. Those coins grade higher and sell for more—sometimes a lot more.

Rare 1776 to 1796 Half Dollar Error List

Errors can turn a face-value coin into a real score. Here are the ones to watch for in the 1976 Kennedy half dollar series.

1776 to 1796 Half Dollar Curved Clip Error

This is one of the more fun errors to cherrypick. It happens when the punching machine clips a chunk off the blank planchet before the die strikes it. The result is an incomplete coin with missing details along the clipped edge.

On this particular error, the date 1776-1976 is gone—it was on the clipped portion.

A 1976 curved clip error coin can fetch $65-$69 depending on condition and grade. That’s a huge premium over a normal, error-free example.

1776 to 1796 Half Dollar Brockage Error

This one’s a head-turner. A brockage happens when an already-struck coin sticks to the die. That stuck coin then stamps its image into the next blank planchet, creating a mirror-image impression. So Kennedy’s portrait faces right instead of left.

Think about how everything had to go wrong at the mint for this to happen. That’s what makes it collectible.

A brockage error coin in mint condition can fetch as much as $4000.

Where to Sell Your 1776 to 1976 half Dollar ?

Now that you know the value of your coins, do you know where to sell those coins online easily? Don’t worry, I’ve compiled a list of these sites, including their introduction, pros, and cons. 

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

FAQ

Are 1776 to 1976 half dollars worth anything?

A little above face value for most examples. Depending on condition, expect $2 to $8. High-grade uncirculated coins and errors can bring significantly more.

How much silver is in a 1776-1976 half dollar?

Only the special S-mint versions contain silver. Those have an 80% silver outer layer and a 21% silver core. They’re not pure silver—there’s copper underneath. Most Bicentennial halves you’ll find are copper-nickel clad with no silver content at all.

How can you tell if a 1976 half dollar is silver?

Check the edge. If you see a copper stripe sandwiched between the outer layers, it’s a standard clad coin. Silver versions show a consistent silvery-white edge with no copper band. It takes two seconds to check, and we think it’s worth doing every time you come across one of these.