By its date:
1964 halves were made from an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper.
1965-69 coins are technically clad coins, but were made with outer layers of 80% silver and an inner core of 20% silver that resulted in an overall composition of 40% silver, 60% copper.
1970 halves were only released in collectors' sets
1971 and later halves made for circulation and most proof sets are copper-nickel clad. The ones sold in special "Presitige" sets are 90% silver but they do not circulate.
Circulation strikes of silver-clad halves ended in 1969. Additional clad halves were minted for collectors in 1970, 1975, and 1976 but were only available in special sets:1970-D: sold in Mint Sets1970-S: sold in Proof sets1975 and 1976: sold in 3-coin Bicentennial sets including a quarter and dollar as well. All carry an "S" mint mark and the dual date 1776-1976 regardless of the year of mintingAny silver-clad Bicentennial coins that may have accidentally ended up in circulation (e.g. if a set was broken up and spent) can be identified by looking at their edge. Cupronickel versions show the familiar pure copper core, while the copper/silver core of silver-clad coins appears as a dirty gray color.
None of the bicentennial quarters made for general circulation have any silver or are worth more than face value. Only Proof and collectors coins sold from the US Mint are worth more. All the 40% silver coins do have "S" mintmarks.
1964 half dollars are typically silver if they have a 90% silver composition. You can check this by looking at the edge of the coin for a silver color or by using a magnet, as real silver is not magnetic. Alternatively, you can have it tested by a professional.
You can determine if a 1966 half dollar is silver by checking the edge of the coin. If it has a grayish line, it likely contains silver. You can also use a magnet - if the magnet does not stick to the coin, it may be silver. Finally, consult a coin dealer or use a testing kit for a definitive answer.
It's easy to tell 1972 Ike dollars apart. If it has no mint mark or a D above the date, it's made of copper-nickel and is worth face value to maybe $1.25 in circulated condition. If it has an S mint mark it's made of 40% clad silver and might be worth about $7, mostly for its silver content. Some other years saw more varieties, but even so they're still simple to tell apart. The silver issues are lighter in color than the copper-nickel ones. Also the edge on a copper-nickel dollar will plainly show its copper color, while the edge on a silver-clad coin will be somewhat grayish.
No 1977 halves were struck in silver. It's also very difficult to tell by a coin's ring because clad coins are frequently irregular internally due to thickness differences that occur as the clad stock is rolled out. Look at the coin's edge. If it's copper-colored like the edge of a quarter or dime, you have an ordinary copper-nickel circulation half that's worth face value.
Yes, it can also contain silver. Experts can tell by holding the coin & observing its edge & by its weight. Clad coins are usually lighter
No, clad is used in the coin collecting community talking about the Copper and Nickel "sandwich" current, non-silver, coins have. So a clad quarter by definition would not have any silver because a clad quarter is a quarter with no silver. However, quarters were made of silver before 1965 so any quarter dated 1964 and earlier contains 90% silver, but those coins would not be considered "clad".
Clad Quarters have copper, and silver color on the edge. 1965- Current are copper clad. Only on half dollars did they make 40% silver coins from 1965-1970. No circulating US coins were ever made of solid silver. They had 10% copper in them to make the metal hard enough to resist wear. 90% Silver Quarters are silver colored on the edge. Some may have toning. 90% Silver Dimes, Quarters, Half Dollars, and Dollars were minted until 1964. Some special current coins are silver, but are only in silver Proof Sets, and cost more than a regular Clad Set. Some Eisenhower Dollars from San Francisco have 40% silver content.
Without a date and mintmark it is impossible to tell. The current silver melt value for 1964 90% silver half dollars is $12.34. The melt value for half dollars made between 1965-70 is $5.04. These are 40% silver. See the related links below for more information.
No, the last time silver was in a Kennedy half dollar was 1970 when it was 40% silver. No 1971 or 1972 half dollars contain any silver. The US mint wouldn't make silver proof sets until 1992. So there are a few reasons why your 1972 half seems to be silver, the most common reason is plating, I've seen many Kennedy halves, gold, silver and even chrome plated. The other possibility is an error where the coin was struck on an incorrect blank, but there are very few errors of that type. Without seeing your coin I can't tell you for certain why your coin seems to be silver, but the US mint didn't make silver halves in 1972.
US quarters (25 cent coins) were 90% silver through 1964, changing to a cupro-nickel clad composition in 1965.
None of the bicentennial Kennedy halves made for general circulation have any silver or are worth more than face value. The 40% silver collectors coins all have the "S" mintmark and were issued only in the 3-piece Silver Bicentennial sets sold from the U.S. Mint. The 40% silver coins have a weight of 11.50 grams.
The easy way is by the dates. Halves made in 1964 or before are 90% silver and 10% copper. Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are only 40% silver. All regular issue halves from 1971 to date are copper-nickel.
With the exception of 1964, all Proof Kennedy half dollars will have a "S" mintmark. They also have a mirror like finish on them.
Circulation strikes of silver-clad halves ended in 1969. Additional clad halves were minted for collectors in 1970, 1975, and 1976 but were only available in special sets:1970-D: sold in Mint Sets1970-S: sold in Proof sets1975 and 1976: sold in 3-coin Bicentennial sets including a quarter and dollar as well. All carry an "S" mint mark and the dual date 1776-1976 regardless of the year of mintingAny silver-clad Bicentennial coins that may have accidentally ended up in circulation (e.g. if a set was broken up and spent) can be identified by looking at their edge. Cupronickel versions show the familiar pure copper core, while the copper/silver core of silver-clad coins appears as a dirty gray color.
The dates are on the obverse (front) of the coins.