We’re back with part nine of our educational numismatics journey exploring America’s classic coin denominations. This time, we’ll dive into the wide and wildly popular half-dollar series spanning over 220 years of U.S. Mint history. From early Draped Bust specimens to silver Kennedy issues and modern editions, half-dollar collecting offers tremendous diversity across early America, the Wild West, the Great Depression, and beyond.
The Origins of American Half-Dollars
Early half-dollars debuting in 1794 closely followed the format of quarter and dollar denominations as a useful silver fractional coinage. The Flowing Hair design by Robert Scot showcased Miss Liberty surrounded by stars on the obverse while an eagle graced the reverse. Both sides emphasized the bold date, denomination, and “LIBERTY” inscription. This style prevailed through 1795 until replaced by the Draped Bust motif.
John Reich took over half-dollar design duties starting in 1801, reworking the concept of Liberty into a capped bust profile. His Capped Bust versions with value designation now rendered as “50 C.” would continue over 20 years until Christian Gobrecht’s Seated Liberty concept took hold in 1839 after a two-year gap in production.
The new Seated half featured a forward-facing Liberty in a sitting position, E Pluribus Unum above her, and the date below. FE Mint Chief Engraver Christian Gobrecht’s revised 1836 Gobrecht dollar design now appeared on the reverse. This iconic Seated Liberty half-dollar format prevailed for over 60 years through early 1891 across a myriad of small tweaks like added arrows or mottoes to reflect changing coinage laws.
Key Half Dollar Series
No roundup of half-dollar history would be complete without touching on these classics:
- Barber Half Dollar (1892-1915) – Charles Barber infused new energy into the series through a design bearing his own surname, which many collectors love for its handsome simplicity.
- Walking Liberty (1916-1947) – Considered by many the most beautiful U.S. silver coin ever minted. Adolph A. Weinman’s iconic obverse depicts Liberty gracefully striding towards a sunrise over a field of stars.
- Franklin Half (1948-1963) – Frank Gasparro’s dignified, patriotic design featuring Benjamin Franklin endures as a short but widely collected 20th-century series. Silver issues are coveted for their bullion value.
- Kennedy Half Dollar (1964-Present) – Perhaps no U.S. series has seen more diverse innovations than the ongoing Kennedy tribute: silver circulation strikes, clad specimens for general use, silver-clad Bicentennials, silver proofs, burnished editions, satin finishes, reverse proofs, and 90% silver special issues.
Standout Rarities and Varieties
As with most denominations, early half-dollars hold keys to completing advanced collections. Top rarities include 1794-1795 Flowing Hair issues along with the 1817/4 and 1838-O Reeded Edge varieties. The 1892 Micro O and 1916 Walking Liberty half rank among the lowest mintage 20th-century issues. Die errors like the 1955 Doubled Die Obverse Franklin half also carry strong premiums.
Modern standouts include silver Kennedy specimen strikings from 1992 to the present. These were made solely for collectors and sell for sizable markups over face value, with examples graded MS70 potentially reaching $80-100 each. The 2014-W Kennedy gold half-dollar proof and 2015-W silver Kennedy Bombay tiger half-proof also have tiny mintages under 5,000 each.
Building a Half-Dollar Collection
Given the lengthy half-dollar timeline, collectors enjoy great flexibility when assembling sets. One approach focuses on type coins representing the major design series, while others seek full date/mintmark runs of a particular span, like Walking Liberty halves from 1941-1947 or Franklins from 1948-1963.
Kennedy half-dollar collecting remains massively popular as well – collectors can choose circulation strikes, mint set specimens, proof issues, or mix and match. Those with bigger budgets can also consider gold $1 coins from 1849-1889 to complement standard half-dollar sets.
With over 200 years of history and counting, half dollars will continue electrifying hobbyists for generations. We invite you to explore browsing our inventory at CV Coins and Collectables or visiting our showroom to discover how this great classic American denomination can enhance your holdings. Our experienced staff looks forward to helping guide you on an exciting numismatic journey!
Check out the other parts in this series:
- Part 1: An Intro to Collecting Coins and Other Currency
- Part 2: Half Cents and Large Cents
- Part 3: Proof and Mint Sets & Commemoratives
- Part 4: Indian and Lincoln Cents
- Part 5: The Forgotten Coins: A Look at Two Cent and Three Cent Pieces
- Part 6: Silver Eagles and Commemoratives
- Part 7: Dimes and 20-Cent Pieces
- Part 8: Quarters
- Part 9: Half-Dollars