1971 Kennedy Half question

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Murillo, Oct 26, 2020.

  1. Murillo

    Murillo Well-Known Member

    Hello everyone, this morning I decided to tackle my Kennedy Half's and separate them by date & weigh and write all the information down. I then search the internet to find out if there is anything specific I should be looking for in a Kennedy Half.

    Well I came across some info on Google about the 1971 D Kennedy Half and have to say I read where there are 1971 half dollars that might be 40% silver in them. I did weigh all my half's and one did come up 11.4 so here is my question I don't understand the tolerance info how does this work?

    It could go + or - right? So if I go minus then it's 11.3? Haven't a clue about this tolerance info. Here is the info I found on Google so after reading this can someone help me understand this info or what your idea is about my coin?
    Would appreciate your information Thank you

    This was posted on Coin World
    The coin’s specific gravity is 9.5, close to the standard 9.53 for silver-copper clad, with a weight of 11.44 grams, within tolerance of the U.S. Mint standard 11.5-gram planchet.

    Specific gravity for copper-nickel clad is 8.92 and a coin’s weight is 11.34 grams.

    When introduced into circulation in 1964, the Kennedy half dollar’s alloy was 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. From 1965 through 1970, a silver-copper clad composition was used. In 1970, 40 percent silver/silver-copper clad planchets were used for the production of Proof half dollars at the San Francisco Mint and Uncirculated Mint set coins at the Denver Mint. No half dollars were struck for circulation.

    The silver-copper clad composition was discontinued in 1971 in favor of the copper-nickel clad composition, but returned for the collector versions of 1776–1976 Kennedy, Bicentennial half dollars.
     

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  3. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    Even though silver was supposed to be removed in 1971, some planchets that were made from the previous 40% silver composition slipped through and were struck with dates bearing 1971. This is a major mint error as all 1971 Kennedy Half Dollars were to be made with 75% copper and 25% nickel planchets.

    This error most likely happened when some older 40% silver planchets got stuck in the bins used to move raw planchets to the striking machines. When emptied, these silver planchets ended up in the hopper and were later struck. The amount that may still be outside of collections is probably very small. Only a couple silver planchets could have been stuck in a bin, and the possibility of them all being found is even lower. This means that 20 or fewer examples may still be in existence.
    Removing silver from the 1971 Kennedy Half Dollar also marked the end of any coin in circulation containing silver.
    With the removal of its silver content, the Kennedy Half Dollar became cheaper to produce. This allowed the US Mint at Philadelphia to produce 155,164,000 and the US Mint at Denver to produce 302,097,424 examples in 1971.
    After the removal of silver, the weight of the Kennedy Half Dollar dropped from 11.50 grams to 11.34 grams. The removal of silver also resulted in a new composition of 75% copper, 25% nickel.
     
  4. Danomite

    Danomite What do you say uh-huh

    Please post a full, clear picture of the edge (not thumbnail). This will help. Coins are sometimes struck from a thick or thin planchet.
     
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  5. Heavymetal

    Heavymetal Well-Known Member

    Billion to 1 chance but
     
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  6. Murillo

    Murillo Well-Known Member

    Sorry about that, here are pictures coin is not at all in good shape. Thanks
     

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  7. johnmilton

    johnmilton Well-Known Member

    If it has a copper center, as all copper-nickel clad coins do, it's not silver. The core on the 40% silver clad pieces was 20% silver and 80% copper. The obverse and revese were 80% silver and 20% copper. I don't recall ever seeing a silver clad coin that looked like a "hamberger" with a brown center layer.
     
  8. jamor1960

    jamor1960 The More I learn, the Less I know....

    It looks like its been plated to me.
     
  9. Murillo

    Murillo Well-Known Member

    Thanks everyone!!
     
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