Lot 003Coin values
1965 Kennedy Half Dollar
PHILADELPHIA · 40% SILVER, 60% COPPER · 65,879,366 STRUCK
Worth about $10–$11 circulated and $14–$18 in MS-65.
The 1965 Kennedy Half Dollar is a common date from the Philadelphia Mint, with 65,879,366 pieces struck. In circulated grades (G-4 to EF-40) our estimate is $10–$11, and a well-preserved MS-65 example is estimated at $14–$18. Circulated coins of this date trade at or just above the value of their metal, so the live melt value on this page is the best guide to a worn coin.
No mint mark: struck at Philadelphia. Special Mint Set pieces (2,360,000) are not included.
1965Philadelphia
Catalogue medallion. We do not yet hold a licensed photograph of this exact date and mint, so none is shown rather than one with a different date.
- Mint
- Philadelphia
- Composition
- 40% silver, 60% copper
- Mintage
- 65,879,366
- Weight and size
- 11.5 g · 30.6 mm
- Designer
- Gilroy Roberts (obverse) and Frank Gasparro (reverse)
Scarcer than 86% of the 8 issues in the Kennedy series with a recorded mintage. 65,879,366 struck. Mintage is the number struck, not the number that survive.
Accented hair (1964)
Some 1964 coins show sharper, heavier hair lines above the ear. The "accented hair" obverse is best known on Proofs but is also looked for on business strikes.
Mint mark position
On 1964 coins the D is on the reverse below the claws; from 1968 the mint mark moved to the obverse below the bust.
Check the silver
A 1964 half has no copper stripe on the edge. 1965 to 1970 coins show a faint copper-coloured stripe because of the clad layers. 1971 and later halves are not silver.
About the 1965 Kennedy
How much is a 1965 Kennedy Half Dollar worth?
Lustre's editorial estimate (Oct 2026) is $10–$11 for circulated examples (G-4 to EF-40) and $14–$18 in MS-65. These are estimates, not an appraisal or market data. A coin in the grade you hold may sell for less at a dealer, who needs a margin.
Is a 1965 Kennedy Half Dollar silver?
Yes. It is 40% silver, 60% copper (clad) and weighs 11.5 g, which is 0.1479 troy ounces of pure silver. Its melt value is that weight multiplied by the current silver spot price, shown live on this page.
How many 1965 Kennedy Half Dollars were minted?
65,879,366 were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. No mint mark: struck at Philadelphia. Special Mint Set pieces (2,360,000) are not included.
Where is the mint mark on a Kennedy Half Dollar?
1964: on the reverse beneath the eagle's claws. 1968 onward: on the obverse below the bust. Philadelphia coins of 1964 to 1967 have no mint mark.
Is my 1965 Kennedy Half Dollar rare?
No. It is a common date. Its value depends mostly on grade, originality and, for silver coins, the melt value.
More Kennedy Half Dollar values
Where these numbers come from
Kennedy half dollar, Wikipedia: composition, weight, diameter, edge, designers, mint mark position.
Kennedy half dollar mintage figures, Wikipedia: mintage (business strikes) and Proof mintage.
Lustre editorial grade-value estimates, Lustre: grade value ranges (estimates, not market data).
gold-api.com spot prices (reference level for estimates), gold-api.com: reference spot prices behind the estimates.
How the estimates are made. Facts reviewed Oct 2026.