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Today I found two 1967 Kennedy Halves that are very bright and not worn. Both have edges with no trace of copper. They look like my better condition 1964 Kennedy halves. The fronts and backs are not quite as 'white' and very, very slightly more of a cupronickel shade than the best condition 1964 Kennedys.

Have I found mint error coins made out of 90% silver (maybe proofs)? Have I merely found 40% coins where the silver alloy overlaps the copper core completely on the entire edge?

In the same batch I found an only mildly worn 1945 Walking Liberty Half. Happy day !

Some days ago I found a 1998 cupronickel Kennedy - looks visibly thinner than the usual cupronickel half. Is there a known mint error where the copper core is omitted or unusally thin? I cannot see if it has a copper core at all, because the face and edge and part of the reverse are heavily stained - as if kept in strong coffee for weeks. I need to read up on how to clean the stain (don't know what it is) without harming the coin before I can check the edge. Maybe take it to the local rare coin shop for an opinion.

Could this be a coin from a Special Mint Set? I've heard those are in much better condition than the average 40%'er.

I find a lot of coin out metal detecting in the water that have that dark hue, might have just been in a lake for a while.

I've noticed as well, David, that while edge-checking some halves are visibly thinner than others. Not sure what accounts for that. As far as the composition of your find goes, I would guess that you don't have an error. The mils thin plating of silver on the exterior of the coin probably wears fastest along the edge, exposing the sandwiched colors we're familiar with. You just found one that hasn't received much circulation. On BU rolls of the 40 % it's hard to tell them apart from 90% by just looking at the edges.

commoncents wrote:Today I found two 1967 Kennedy Halves that are very bright and not worn. Both have edges with no trace of copper. They look like my better condition 1964 Kennedy halves. The fronts and backs are not quite as 'white' and very, very slightly more of a cupronickel shade than the best condition 1964 Kennedys.

Have I found mint error coins made out of 90% silver (maybe proofs)? Have I merely found 40% coins where the silver alloy overlaps the copper core completely on the entire edge?

Weigh the coin...a 40% silver half would weigh somewhere around 11.5 grams. About 12 months ago I also found a 1967 half that looks like it was minted on 90% quarter thickness stock. 1964 90% silver quarters were minted over a 3 year period ('64 thru '66) so its very possible a piece of 90% silver quarter stock transitioned into 1967 and half blanks were punched from that stock. The thickness of a quarter is 65 thousandths (.065") of an inch whereas a half is 85 thousandths (.085"). The half I have weighs in at 9.7 grams and is 65 thousandths (.065"). I haven't done anything further with my find but am hoping a few more are found to help validate it. Their was an article by Ken Potter (Numismatic News) that described a 1971 half punched on quarter stock but when I contacted Ken he said he had not heard of a 1967 but it would be a "nice find".