Monday, 2 January 2012

Information to Consider Before You Sell Silver Half Dollars

By Glen Phillips


Assuming that you have a silver half dollar collection, or coins from an inheritance, and have decided to sell silver half dollars, there's a high likelihood that your collection consists of Walking Liberty half dollars, Franklin half dollars, and Kennedy half dollars. If you're unfamiliar with these coins, or some of the earlier minted U.S. silver half dollars, this article may be of value to you so that you can receive the most cash when you sell silver half dollars.

The first half dollar coins that we'll discuss are Walking Liberty half dollars. These coins were minted from 1916 - 1947. While a majority of these coins are sold strictly for their silver content, there are a few that are considered low mintage or key dates coins, that sell at a premium above and beyond the silver content of the coins; even in circulated condition. The key date coins that are included in these type coins are those that were minted in 1916 and 1921. Additionally, the 1938-D Walking Liberty half dollar has a mintage of less than 500,000, making this a relatively low mintage coin.

Following the Walking Liberty half dollar was the Franklin half dollar, which were minted from 1948 - 1963. Considering that most of these coins were relatively high mintage coins, they don't typically sell at a premium, with the exception of a few coins. As far as circulated Franklin half dollars go, only those minted in 1955 sell for a small premium. With respect to uncirculated Franklin half dollars, those minted in the 1940's sell for more than their silver content.

The last U.S. minted half dollars that are composed of 90% silver, with the exception of commemorative half dollars, are the 1964 Kennedy half dollars. These are popular coins due primarily to the popularity of J.F.K., but because so many of these coins were minted (over four hundred million), these coins don't sell for more than their silver content; even those that are in uncirculated condition.

While we've covered three types of 90% silver half dollars thus far, this isn't meant to be an exhaustive list of all the U.S. minted half dollars. These are simply the most common half dollars, and that are most likely to be found in a typical coin collection. Silver half dollars actually have a long storied history, dating back to the 1700's. As a bit of history, the United States first began minting half dollars in 1794. Half dollars minted in 1794 and 1795 are commonly referred to as Flowing Hair half dollars. Following the mintage of Flowing Hair half dollars was the Draped Bust half dollar, which were minted from 1796- 1807. Next up were the Capped Bust half dollars, which were minted from 1807 - 1839, followed by Seated Liberty half dollars (1839 - 1891), and then the Barber half dollars (1892 - 1915). All of these coins are sold for their collectible or numismatic value; however, that's less so with the Barber half dollars, especially those in average circulated condition.

Now that we've addressed the various types of half dollars, hopefully you're well prepared to receive the most cash when you sell silver half dollars. However, before you sell your coins, you would be well advised to research the coin dealers that you're considering so that you can maximize your profits when you sell silver half dollars.




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