Starting in 1971, the Kennedy Half Dollar was struck in copper nickel clad composition. This consisted of an outer layer of 75% copper and 25% nickel bonded to a core of pure copper. This composition had been used for quarters and dimes since 1965, however, the half dollar had continued to include silver within the composition until this year.
The 1971-D Kennedy Half had the highest mintage of the entire series with over 300 million produced. This issue is frequently encountered in high mint state grades, compared to other issues of the era.
Mintage:
| Philadelphia | Denver | Proof |
| 155,164,000 | 302,097,424 | 3,224,000 |