Hello Can you tell if a coin has some silver in it by looking at the sides? Like this example below. I know silly question just trying to figure out Kennedy halves.
It is pretty easy to pick out the clad halves from the one metal ones, but you would have to examine them individually to check the dates when clad halves had some silver.
The 90% silver half dollars are a piece of cake. The 40%'ers require a little bit of training, but it isn't that hard. The difference between the 40%'ers and the CuNi's is that the edge on the CuNi's has a copper color like the photo you posted, and the 40%'ers have a more grayish color in addition to the silver. Chris
Easier to remember by dates-1964-1969. The 1970 & 1976 was only issued in a special set so your not likely to run into many of these in your searches. Later issues only in Proof sets so again, not likely to run into many of those either.
I once swore I had a silver SMS half (65) because I couldn't detect any copper on the edge.........when weighed, it was clad. Best way to tell is to weigh the coin.
EASY way = memorize the years. Weighing the coin, you don't learn anything except about that one coin. Memorize the years, you don't even have to look at the edge. Now a question for JFK and/or error collectors - have they ever found a 1965 to 1970 struck on a 1964 (90%) planchet?
I bring this up because I read where some 1971 and 1977 Kenn's had silver by accident and are worth good money to lucky ones who find them.
This was all I could find. http://www.aucmcoins.com/product/1965-kennedy-half-dollar-struck-in-silver-pcgs-ms64-unique/
Well I was thinking about this a tad the other day Because I bought a 1970 Kennedy to complete my collection. It looks to me like a clad on the edge? And I did some searches the other day to see if I somehow got screwed into buying a 70s clad. From what I have seen in searches there is no such beast correct? Also as a roll searcher I check every coin, I do not just check the edge, And have found some really neat coins doing that. Yes it takes more time but I am in it for more than money and silver.
