The final instance of circulating money produced by the U.S. Mint containing silver is a specific class of collectible. These items mark the end of an era where precious metal content was a standard feature of everyday currency. For instance, the Kennedy half-dollar, clad in silver from 1964 and earlier, ceased being produced with a high silver content for general circulation after 1970.
These coins are significant for collectors and historians because they represent a tangible link to a time when the value of currency was intrinsically tied to a precious metal. They are also valuable due to their relative scarcity compared to modern clad coinage, and the historical and economic factors that led to the discontinuation of silver in circulating money. This transition reflects changes in economic policy and metal prices.
