I have 5 Kennedy Half Dollars years, 2000, 2003 and 2004 and supposedly they are from a proof set and they all are marked s. How can I tell if they are clad or 90%?
Put a piece of tissue paper over them. If the coins look white, they're silver. If they look gray, they're clad.
Yes they do. I sure hope he does more to determine if the coin is silver or clad other than the S mintmark.
Correction: In 1971 silver was removed from Kennedy halves. Only Philadelphia and Denver minted business strikes. San Francisco minted proofs only. In 1992 the Mint also offered special 90% silver proofs to collectors, and still does. These too carry an S mint mark. So if it has an "S", it is a proof. For the years in question it could be either silver or clad. Vroomer's simple suggestion is the best way to tell (look at the edge). They weigh the same (11.3 grams). Lance.
Besides checking the edge, weighing them is your next best option 90% silver - 12.5g CuNi Clad - 11.34 g 1964 and silver proof sets from 1992 to current – 90% Silver Weight: 12.5 g Composition: 90% Siver 10% Copper Silver content: 11.25 g (0.3617 troy oz) 1971 to Date Weight: 11.34 g Composition: 75% copper, 25% nickel http://www.coincollectorguide.com/kennedy-half-dollar/
Good stuff, conpewter. Interesting...I just checked PCGS Coinfacts and they have a different weight for the 1992-S and later 90% silver proof: 11.30 g. Same as '71 and later clad. Which is why I said the OP's coin -- silver or clad, couldn't be sorted out by weighing it. But this doesn't sound right. The 1964 halves weight 12.5 g. Franklins weigh 12.5g. Shouldn't the later year 90% silver proofs be the same? Maybe PCGS got it wrong. Or maybe the modern silver proofs are just a wee bit thinner? I don't know what the tolerance is for half dollar planchet weight. Probably close to half a gram. Lance.
Lance, you must have gotten ahold of some bad information. A modern 90% silver half is a silver half. Since 1873 the weight of 90% silver Half Dollars has been 12.50 grams. This is also true for Silver Proof Kennedy Half Dollars. (My 2010 Red Book states on page 204 under Kennedy Half Dollars / Eagle Reverse Resumed, "Silver Proofs are of pre-1965 standards.")
Tolerance on the clad halves is +/- .45 grams On the silver halves it is +/- .26 grams. So the maximum for a clad half is 11.8 grams and the minimum for a silver half is 12.24 grams. The weights do not overlap and is nearly half a gram apart at the closest.
