Coin values · 90% silver · 1964
1964 Kennedy half dollar value: silver melt value today
The 1964 Kennedy half dollar is the only Kennedy half struck for circulation in 90% silver. Each one holds 0.3617 troy oz of silver, so its value starts at melt, and ordinary 1964 and 1964-D coins trade close to it. At the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver), one coin’s 0.3617 oz of silver was worth $18.00.
1964 Kennedy half dollar specifications
| Year | 1964 (1965–1970: 40% silver; 1971 on: no silver) |
|---|---|
| Designers | Gilroy Roberts (obverse), Frank Gasparro (reverse) |
| Mints | Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.50 g |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm, reeded edge |
| Silver content (ASW) | 0.3617 troy oz |
| Mintage | 429.5 million 90% halves for circulation (about 273.3 million Philadelphia, 156.2 million Denver), plus 3,950,762 proofs |
| Melt value | $18.00 at the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver); live value above |
Weights, fineness and mintages come from the primary records listed under Sources; melt is computed from the gold or silver content.
1964 Kennedy half dollar melt calculator
Melt = pure metal content × recent spot (silver $49.78/oz). This is the bullion floor; collectible coins can be worth far more. Federal rules restrict melting only 1¢ and 5¢ coins (31 CFR Part 82; 1942–1945 silver war nickels are exempt). This estimates intrinsic value.
What a 1964 Kennedy half dollar’s silver has been worth since 1968
A 1964 Kennedy half dollar held about $0.71 of silver in 1968, peaked near $37.32 in 2026, and its metal is worth $18.00 today. That is melt only; a scarce date or high grade can carry a collector premium on top.
1964 Kennedy half dollar melt value by decade
Melt of one coin at each decade’s December close. The peak month was Jan 2026 at $37.32; the low was Oct 1971 at $0.47. Melt has been above the $0.50 face value in 703 of 707 months since 1968, and is now about 36 times face.
| Close | Silver price | Melt per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1970 | $1.63 | $0.59 |
| Dec 1980 | $15.50 | $5.61 |
| Dec 1990 | $4.19 | $1.52 |
| Dec 2000 | $4.58 | $1.65 |
| Dec 2010 | $30.63 | $11.08 |
| Dec 2020 | $26.49 | $9.58 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | $49.78 | $18.00 |
Prices: LBMA benchmark history, then Bullion Trading LLC 5 pm ET spot closes (monthly observations).
About the 1964 Kennedy half dollar
Congress authorized the coin on December 30, 1963, five weeks after President Kennedy was assassinated, and the Mint began striking it in January 1964. Gilroy Roberts adapted his presidential medal portrait; Frank Gasparro’s reverse is the presidential seal.
People kept the new coins as keepsakes, and rising silver prices pulled 90% coins out of circulation. To meet demand the Mint kept striking 1964-dated coins well into 1965 (Public Law 88-580). The Coinage Act of 1965 then removed silver from dimes and quarters and cut the half dollar to 40% silver.
The date is all you need: any 1964 or 1964-D Kennedy is 90% silver. On 1964 coins the mintmark is on the reverse, left of the eagle’s tail near the olive branch.
Key dates and mintages
- 1964 (Philadelphia): about 273.3 million struck.
- 1964-D: about 156.2 million struck.
- 1964 proofs: 3,950,762, including the scarcer “Accented Hair” variety with extra lines in the hair above the ear.
When is a 1964 Kennedy half dollar worth more than melt?
Circulated 1964 halves are bullion: they trade at melt plus a small premium. Proofs, the Accented Hair variety and high-grade uncirculated coins sell to collectors for more; we do not publish collector prices.