1967 Half Dollar Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

Riding high on the demand from the previous 3 years for the immensely popular coin, the John F. Kennedy half-dollar was struck over 295 million times in 1967 and went on to become a sought-after coin for collectors. But why is this coin a lucky find?  Let’s learn all that gives the 1967 Half-Dollar value.

1967 Half Dollar Value Chart
Mintmark and Variety	XF45/SP45	MS60/SP60	MS65/SP65	MS67/SP67
1967 (P) Half Dollar Value	$5	$7	$28	$2,000
1967 (P) SMS Half Dollar Value	$3	$5 Cameo: $5	$22 Cameo: $28	$50 Cameo: $85

1967 No Mint Mark Half Dollar Value

History

Following the assassination of sitting President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963, the United States Mint moved to pay tribute to the country’s 35th president by depicting him on one of the large silver coins. The mint gave heavy consideration to placing J.F.K. on the silver dollar, half-dollar, or quarter. It was only after new widower Jaqueline Kennedy shared her wish that her late husband’s image should not replace George Washington on the quarter, that the decision was made (along with Mrs. Kennedy) that he would be depicted on the silver half-dollar, replacing the image of President Benjamin Franklin.

Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, Gilroy Roberts, had recently sculpted the president for President John F. Kennedy appreciation medal, which was given to global dignitaries in 1962. For the sake of speed, he used the same word used on the medal and made slight alterations before submitting it for approval.

Frank Gasparro, known for his work on the Lincoln Memorial Penny, had experience working for President Kennedy from his time designing the reverse of the appreciation medal. He used this time with the president to inspire his work on the reverse of the soon-to-be Kennedy half-dollar. This work influenced Gasparro’s design for the Obverse of the Kennedy Half Dollar and allowed him to submit his work to the Mint within a short window of time.

With the artwork done for the new half-dollar, congress moved just as quickly to strike the coin with minimal delay. Congressional representative of Texas, Henry Gonzalez, introduced the bill for the new half-dollar. With the support of President Lyndon Johnson, congress quickly passed the legislation, and the new Kennedy half-dollar coin was sent off to be struck.

The J.F.K. Half-Dollar Coins were first available to the public on March 24, 1964, just 4 months after his assassination. The coin was immensely popular, ultimately leading to the United States Coinage Act in 1965.

Obverse

The obverse of the 1967 Half-Dollar depicts a bust of President John F. Kennedy’s profile facing left. The word Liberty curves from left to right over the president’s head, with his hair slightly (and in the case of the “E” partially) covering the letter B, E, and R in the word.

Sprawled across the coin at the bottom of the bust are the words “In God We Trust”, with the base of the bust creating a divide between the words “God” and “We”. The mint year 1967 is located at the very bottom of the coin, following the curve from left to right. The initials of artist Gilroy Robers are discreetly tucked at the bottom center of the bust.

Reverse

The reverse of the 1967 HalfDolalr shows a heraldic eagle holding a shield, what is widely recognized as the Presidential shield of the United States of America. In the left talon of the eagle is an olive branch, and in the right talon is a bundle of arrows – the two of which denote peace and war.

The motto of the United States of America, E Pluribus Unum (Latin for “From many, one”) is displayed on a banner flying above the eagle’s head.

At the top of the coin, the words United States of America follow the curve from left to right. The initials of artist Frank Gasarro are placed just beneath the right leg of the eagle.

Details

The 1967 Half-Dollar was only struck at the Philadelphia Mint and therefore does not have a mint mark.

The 1976 Half-Dollar is made up of 60% copper and 40% silver. It weighs 11.5 grams with an approximate silver weight of 147893 oz.

Value

Due to the popularity of the 1964 debut of the new John F. Kennedy half-dollar, a large amount of these silver coins never made it into circulation. The U.S. mint increased production of the coin in 1965, hoping for coins to begin circulating, but this caused silver stocks to run low. The United States had run into a coin shortage. To counteract the possibility of running out of silver in the years to come, congress passed the Coinage Act. This act effectively removed the use of silver in all nickels, dimes, and quarters and debased silver half-dollars. Even after this act was lifted, the use of silver in U.S. coins was minimal, ending altogether in 1970 except for commemorative coins.

This means that the 1967 Half-Dollar is one of the last coins to be produced using silver, as its composition includes 60% copper and 40% silver. This last fact makes the 1967 half dollar highly sought after. Because of its silver content, the current value of the 1967 half-dollar is set at $3.40 in 2023. But the value of this coin can come from many other points as well, including the grade of the coin.

1967 coins with a mint state of 60 (MS 60) are valued up to $7. Coins of much greater mint state, like MS 65, can be worth up to $25. Coins in excellent condition with a minimum mint state of MS 67 can be worth up to $1,650. Other factors that add value are coin errors. Errors are rare and rarity adds to the value. Though not many were made, there were a few different errors that occurred during the striking of the 1967 half dollar and made their way into circulation. The value of the error coin also greatly relies on the condition of the coin itself.

A coin in MS 67 with an error can take the value from hundreds of dollars in value to thousands. Cut planchets, missing class, die errors, and strike-throughs were all reported errors on the 1967 half dollar, with the rare errors going to auction for as much as $2,500. We’ll cover more about the known errors on the 1967 half dollar and their current values further along.

1967 Half Dollar Grading

The value of a 1967 half dollar is greatly dependent on its grading. It is possible to grade coins yourself. But to get the highest value possible for a coin, it should be graded by professional organizations. Some of the most well-known organizations for coin grading are Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), Independent Coin Graders (ICG), and American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS).

Rare 1967 Half Dollar Error Lists

Just as is the case with other coins, there is value in an error. When it comes to the 1967 half-dollar, an error can make all the difference from a coin value of just a few dollars to several hundred or, as we mentioned previously, into the thousands of dollars! Some of the reported errors for the 1967 half-dollar include die errors, missing cladding, clipped planchets, and even foreign objects making their mark on the coins. Let’s have a closer look at some of the errors on the 1967 half dollar.

1967 Half Dollar Missing Obverse Cladding Error

A small number of 1967 half dollars with a missing clad on the obverse made their way into circulation. This error occurs when the cladding process was skipped on the obverse altogether. The result of this error is an obverse that differs in tone from that of a properly cladded coin, appears to be grainy, and lacks details when compared to a properly produced coin. This error also occurred on the reverse, though a missing clad error on both sides of the coin was never reported.  A 1967 half dollar with the missing clad is valued at anywhere between $27 and $126.

1967 Half Dollar Struck Through Error

A coin that has been struck through is an error that occurs when a foreign object results in an unintended impression on the coin. The foreign objects can range in material such as fabric, dust, or other loose particles. These errors are extremely rare, which gives room for sellers to ask for big sums in exchange for the coin. One seller of a struck through acquired by the interference of a piece of fabric started an auction for his 1967 half dollar at $2,500.

1967 Half Dollar Clipped Planchet Error

Although a rare occurrence, blanking dies can punch out planchets that overlap with the edges of another planchet. This results in coins on the previous planchet being clipped. A clipped planchet on a coin looks as though a small portion of the coin has been cut off. These 1967 half dollar errors are valued anywhere from $15 to $100 depending on the severity of the clip. The larger the clip, the larger the coin’s value!

1967 Half Dollar FAQs

Is there silver in the 1967 half-dollar?

Silver was no longer used in U.S. coins from the year 1970 on. Before this, the use of silver was regularly used in coins up to 1964, and partially used in coins from 1965-1969. In regards to the 1967 half-dollar, it is made of 60% copper and 40% silver. Therefore, owners of a 1967 half dollar can be certain that there is silver in their coin.

How much is the 1967 Half Dollar worth today?

The value of a 1967 half dollar depends greatly on the condition or grade of the coin. A circulated coin in average condition is worth roughly $3 today. Coins of better grades/conditions can be worth much more. Coins that were uncirculated or had errors can be valued in the hundreds. For example, a 1967 half dollar of average condition (MS 60) can be worth up to $7, and the same coin in a greater grade, like MS 67, can be worth over $1000.

Is a 1967 Half Dollar rare?

Close to 300 million half dollars were struck in 1967. Although the coin is not rare in itself, several aspects may contribute to its rarities, such as the coin’s conditions and any existing errors.

Where is the mint mark on the 1967 Half Dollar?

There is no mint mark on the 1967 half dollar as all half dollars that year were struck at the Philadelphia mint. Until 1980, the Philadelphia mint did not leave a mint mark on coins. Because it is the United State’s original minting facility, the U.S. had established a tradition where all coins struck at the Philadelphia mint would not need to be identified by the mint mark.

How Can I Tell If My 1967 Half Dollar is silver?

Although not made of 90% silver as were the half dollar coins before 1965, the 1967 half dollar is made of 60% copper and 40% silver. Rest assured, if you have a 1967 half-dollar there is some silver in it.