40% Silver Kennedy Clad Coins O.K., the title might not make any sense but let me clarify. Most of the Kennedy halves( 1964-1969 ) I've pulled from circulation have a very definite silver edge and are easy to spot when I tear open a roll. However, a couple of 1968's and 1969's are very obviously copper clad in nature and look like the Kennedy's struck from 1971 on. What is the difference between these two types of coins from the same year?
It's easily explained if you read the composition of these coins in the Red Book. The 40% silver coins are .800 silver clad over an inner core alloy of silver & copper. You can have the same effect occur with copper/nickel clad coins. When the coin is struck, sometimes the clad layer is pushed down over the edge only part way and sometimes it is pushed down over the edge all the way.
