I have a 1968s Kennedy half that I plucked from circulation some time ago, and from what I understand this was the first year the coin was struck as a proof in San Fransisco. The odd thing, or maybe not so odd, are some visible copper "splotches" on the rim of the coin. I was wondering if this had to do with the additional pressure used to make the proof coin, and that possibly it hadn't been perfected yet as it was the first year it was struck.
1965-1970 Kennedy Halves are 40% silver. Instead of a 100% copper core (like cupro-nickel clad coins) these halves have a core that is silver and copper.
This is a bit smaller than my original picture, but i had to shrink it down so it would allow me to upload. If i need to i can try and take more....this wasn't an easy picture because my camera isn't cooperating.
Yeah i knew that the 65-70 Kennedy's were 40% silver but you don't usually see copper on the edges do you?
Those halves are still clad coins (with outter layers sandwiched around a core). They are 40% silver but even though the core is not 100% copper it does contain copper (and silver).
well, thanks for the image, but others have answered already. when you post coin pics, try to crop out the back ground, the coin in your picture is probably less than 5% of the overall image area. We can't really see the coin at all. The dark background does help some though.
Thanks for the responses, was mainly curious because in the other 40% halves i have lying around i cannot see any copper on the edges. In the interest of honing my picture taking skills i took your advice and cropped the image down and re-posted it....thanks for the advice on cropping it skipped my mind
It certainly helps to see the coin, but the image is technically just as small. keep practicing and you'll get better at coin pics. Thanks for the new pic.
This is not uncommon. I search half dollars all of the time and some of the 40%ers look very much like they have a copper core. Actually, the inner core is 80% copper and 20% silver with the outer edges being 80% silver and 20% copper (for a total silver percentage of 40%). I've seen them with silver edges looking like a 90%er; I've seen them (most often) with two shades of silver on the edge, a dark one and a lighter one; and sometimes (not very often), I've seen them look just like a clad with a copper looking center (I did the ring test to make sure it was silver....and it rang true). So, your coin with a little copper showing through is not a rarity. GREAT find though, to find this in circulation!!!!
The outer Outer layers were composed of ±80% Silver and ±20% Copper alloy mix while the center core contained ±79% Copper and ±21% Silver alloy mix which yielded a 40% silver content. It was not uncommon for the copper core to be exposed along the rim on these proof struck coins from the San Fransisco Mint. Nice find in circulation, but now you have what is considered an "impaired proof" and only worth bullion value. Still neat to pluck something like this from circulation, good eye! Happy Collecting
