Half dollars or 50 cent pieces were a mainstay of our monetary system
since they first were minted in 1794. They remained common in circulation until
around the 1970s. FLOWING HAIR (1794-1795) DRAPED BUST (1796-1807) CAPPED BUST LETTERED EDGE (1807-1836)
\ CAPPED BUST REEDED EDGE (1836-1839) SEATED LIBERTY (1839-1891) BARBER (1892-1916) STANDING
LIBERTY (1916-1947) FRANKLIN (1948-1963) KENNEDY (1964- ) CLASSIC COMMEMORATIVE HALVES (1892-1954) The first issues were in 1892 to commemorate the Colombian
Exposition held in Chicago to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery
of the New World. Other events were commemorated in later years up to the early
1930s when non-events were actually immortalized in halves, instigated by
speculators with influence in the Roosevelt Administration. This led to the
cessation until the late 1940s and early 1950s where actual events and
personalities were commemorated. After 1954, the classic series ended. Mintage
numbers on many of these coins was miniscule in the 10,000 to 25,000 range.
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