1964 Kennedy Half Dollar Value

Philadelphia struck 273,304,004 half dollars dated 1964, and they have no mint mark. Most are worth their silver. Only coins in near perfect condition bring more. One graded MS-65 sold for $45 in 2025, while coins graded MS-67 sold for $244, $456 and $1,200.

Denver struck 156,205,446 coins with a D mint mark. Look on the back, under the eagle's claw that holds the olive branch. Graded 1964-D coins sold for $125 in MS-65, $408 in MS-66+, and $384 and $456 in MS-67.

The Mint also made 3,950,762 proof half dollars in 1964 for collectors. They have mirror-like fields and no mint mark. A proof graded Proof-68 Cameo sold for $99.88, and the best ones, graded Proof-69 with frosted designs, sold for $940 and $1,560.

The Accented Hair proof is the variety most people hope to find. The first proof dies showed more of Kennedy's hair, and up to 3% of the 1964 proofs carry it. Look between the R of LIBERTY and the top of the ear: on these coins three strands of hair to the left of the big curl are complete. Graded examples sold for $840 to $12,000, depending on grade and finish.

The rarest 1964 half is the Special Mint Set coin. Only about a dozen are known, with a satin finish unlike any regular coin or proof. One graded Specimen-67+ sold for $60,000 and one graded Specimen-68 for $156,000. A grading service has to confirm one.

Mint mistakes sell well too. A coin struck 10% off center sold for $408, and one struck much farther off center, with a bent, cupped shape, brought $1,175. Half dollars struck on quarter blanks sold for $1,320, $1,410 and $5,170. One struck on a silver dime blank, so small that no date shows, sold for $3,120.

• Check the date. Only 1964 Kennedy halves are 90% silver. Halves dated 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver and weigh 11.5 grams.
• Weigh it on a kitchen scale. A 1964 half weighs about 12.5 grams.
• Look at the edge. A 1964 coin is silver all the way through, with no copper stripe.
• Turn it over and look for a D under the eagle's claw that holds the olive branch. No letter means Philadelphia.
• If the coin is shiny like a mirror, it may be a proof. Check the hair for the Accented Hair strands.

Do not clean the coin. Cleaning leaves fine scratches that lower the price for collectors.

For ordinary coins, the silver sets the floor and condition sets the rest. A coin graded MS-65 sold for $45, while one graded MS-67 brought $1,200.

For proofs, the frosty look matters as much as the grade number. Two Accented Hair proofs graded Proof-68 sold for $1,560 and $12,000: the higher price went to the one with deep frosted designs on mirror fields.

Every price on this page went to a coin that a grading service had checked and graded. If you think you have a proof variety, a Special Mint Set coin or an error, have it graded before you sell it.

Congress passed the law for the Kennedy half on December 30, 1963, weeks after the president's death. The coins went on sale on March 24, 1964, and people saved them as keepsakes right away. The Mint kept striking 1964-dated coins into 1965 to meet demand, but most were saved or later melted for their silver. If you sort old coins, set every 1964 half aside. See the 40% silver Kennedy half values for the years after.