40% silver 1971 halves are created when left over planchets from 1970 were used to create 1971 50C pieces. A large portion of the coin will also appear to be missing, due to the fact that nickel diameters are not as wide.Ĥ0% Silver 1971 Half Dollar - Yes 1971 Half Dollars made from 40% silver are a thing. The edge of the coins are not reeded, instead the edge is smooth like a nickel. Here are just a few of the main errors that can be found sorting through half dollars.ġ971 Half Dollar Struck on Nickel Planchet - one of the many instances of the mint using the wrong plachets. This new blend required new planchets to be created, and because of this there are many instances of Half Dollars from 1971 being struck on the wrong planchet. This was the year the mint switched from 40% silver to a blend of 91.67% Copper 8.33% Nickel. (Click to Enlarge Image) More About Errorsġ971 was apparently a rough year for the United States mint. Errors include obverse die breaks, struck on nickel planchet, struck on quarter planchet, off center strikes up to 70%, double strikes, struck on silver planchet, and clipped planchets. These coins are a copper-nickel composition, being a nickel jacket over a copper core. Anything after 1970 contains no silver, with the exception of errors listed below. This was the first year that the US Mint issued Kennedy Half Dollars in a non silver state.
