Kennedy Half Dollar (Clad, 1971– )

The half dollar never recovered from the silver-era hoarding: vending machines dropped it, registers had no slot for it, and by 2002 the Mint stopped ordering it for circulation. It survives as ceremony — and as camouflage for the silver versions that still surface in rolls.

Casinos were among the last major users of halves — chips replaced them, and the denomination effectively died in commerce.

Check these before treating any coin as melt. Think you have one? Check recent auction records before selling, and read the grading basics first.