1974P 90% Silver Kennedy Half Dollar

I recently found a 1974P half dollar that looks and sounds as if it is 90% silver. Did the US Mint produce any 90% silver half dollars that were dated 1974P? I know this could be a Chinese fake.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

No. You should weigh the coin. A clad KHD weighs 11.34 g whereas a 90% half weighs 12.50 g.

 

To elaborate, I know the full story of 90% and 40% half dollars, so this is not a request for the basics. I am asking if there is any record of the Mint accidentally producing 90% silver 1974P half dollars, or if anyone knows of particularly good fakes circulating out there. This coin made it through a bank counting machine, looks authentic, and has the ring of a 90% silver half, with which I am very familiar. Thank you to anyone who can offer insight.

 

Thank you for the suggestion, Hobo, but if I weigh it and it comes out at 12.5 grams, what do I have if the US Mint never even accidentally produced this coin?

 

I have never heard there were any 74P accidently done in silver by the mint. Since you are stating the reeded edge is not showing copper, wonder if it is a silver plated one...similar to how they do the gold and platinum on the state quarters?

 

It is highly unlikely your coin is 90% silver because the Mint did not produce any 90% silver half dollar planchets after they stopped minting 1964 KHDs (circa early 1966 if I remember correctly). Could a 90% silver planchet have gotten stuck in a hopper for 7 or 8 years and fallen out in 1974? Sure, anything is possible but I think that scenario is highly, highly unlikely.

Your best bet is to weigh the coin and go from there. Your ear may be finely tuned enough to distinguish the metal content of coins but the weight test is more meaningful to most coin collectors. If the weight test is inconclusive I would recommend doing a SG (Specific Gravity) test. If, after the weight test and SG test, you are still convinced it is a 90% silver KHD I would recommend that you submit it to PCGS or NGC for authentication.

 

I know of no 90% Silver 1974 Halves.

 

I will have it weighed, Hobo, start with the basics. I'll let you know what I learn. I'm certain it is not plated, Howboutatrade. I do have a '65 half that is 90% silver and was able to find explanations that there were some 90% '65s accidentally minted on '64 planchets. I was trying to see if any of the board experts had heard of any 90% '74Ps with a good story. I could find nothing on the internet. Thanks to all.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Yes, please weigh it and let us know.

 

OK, I'm back from the local and here's what I have: the coin weighs 12 grams spot on. Heavier than a clad coin, perhaps not heavy enough for a 90% coin. Suggests it could well be a coin with silver plating. BUT.... we took a genuine 40% half, a genuine 90% half, and my mutt of a coin, and dropped them repeatedly from the same yet varying distances. Two coin professionals and your humble scribe all agreed with each test that my mutant 1974P sounded identical to the genuine 90%er. So what do you make of that? Would a silver plated coin sound much more like a real 90% silver coin or some clunking clad coin? IDK. No closer to resolution and unwilling to spend $50+ to have a fake coin confirmed. Frustrated slightly. Thanks to all.

 

Alright, please describe the specific gravity test, including cost. I'd like to know what this thing is, but I'm unwilling to incur undue expense to verify the non-existence of this coin. Have I stopped making sense? Was I ever making sense?

 

Someone will know what to do.....sorry I don't

 

When you get down to it a SG test is fairly simple. You weigh the coin twice - once dry (normal) and once wet (suspended in water). Then you do a simple calculation (dry weight divided by the difference between the dry weight and wet weight).

JP Martin (grader and authenticator at ANACS and long-time instructor at ANA Summer Seminar) has written simple instructions on how to perform a SG test HERE.

Google "specific gravity test" for more detailed instructions and photos of the apparatus to get the wet weight of the coin.

 

Many thanks, Hobo.

 

The conclusion is a silver-plated coin, of no value. A conversation piece. Why would someone go to the trouble? Thanks for all your thoughts and suggestions, but I still have to go to work tomorrow.

 

Found one also!

I have just stumbled across one of these coins as well. I have no Idea what to do with it, It acts like a 90%er but I have never heard of this type of coin.
I wonder if it came in a special Silver set and that set got broken up as the US mint made a few after they stopped doing silver in coins.

It seems no one has posted on this forum in a while but I would really like some kind of answer if anyone has found one.

I am thinking now that it is an unlikely mistake since this is the second coin with the same date and mint mark just on this forum.

 

And.................the determination on the first coin was "Silver Plating".

No Special Silver sets.

No 90% Silver.

Just a Silver Plated coin.

Did you not read the thread?

 

I read that this was the conclusion, I still find it weird that I just received the same date and mint mark coin, and I found an Ebay seller post http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170831577324#ht_547wt_1185

he has some odd ball dates and listed as silver, I asked him to confirm it but no response yet.

I do not want to drop this coin back in circulation either way.
I was thinking of seeing what a coin shop would make of it. Like the first guy did.

 

Reading and accepting the conclusion are two different things. Everyone is hoping their "special coin" is the exception...

 

LOL Agreed completely. Honestly I dont care either way but like the first guy that asked I want an answer more than anything. just seems real odd for someone to have gone to the trouble of Plating it in silver. and apparently more than one.
Could be to literally mess with us types.