Who is on the Half Dollar? 

With a few brief exceptions, the half dollar has been struck continuously since 1794. In that time, the circulating half dollar has changed design or composition more than eight times. Throughout its years of issue, the half dollar has depicted the faces of only two United States politicians. Other issues have featured representations of Liberty, although only a few model names are known today. 

U.S. Politicians on Half Dollars  

The two half dollar coins depicting U.S. politicians were issued most recently. 

Benjamin Franklin Half Dollar 

A Benjamin Franklin half dollar was issued from 1948 until 1963. It was designed by John R. Sinnock, who passed away before his design was finished. Sinnock’s design was completed by his Mint successor, Gilroy Roberts. Director of the Mint, Nellie Tayloe Ross, wanted to see a Benjamin Franklin coin, and the 1933 Franklin medal by Sinnock featured a bold and clean portrait of the Founding Father.  

Sinnock’s medal was modeled on an older bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon and the portrait serves as an enduring tribute to one of the most influential Founding Fathers. Ironically, Franklin opposed issuing coins with American faces out of concerns that those featured would use them to profit from the currency.  

The JFK Half Dollar 

The John F. Kennedy half dollar was designed as a memorial to the late 35^th US President after his assassination. The first issue was released in 1964. Gilroy Roberts designed the obverse, which features a left-facing profile of Kennedy. Frank Gasparro designed the reverse, which depicted a modified US Presidential seal. 

Early Half Dollars 

Early half dollars all depict Liberty, the personification of the virtue of freedom. Although the names of the designers and many parties who worked on the coins are well known, only a few of the models’ names are known.  

Why was Liberty Featured on so Many Coins? 

Liberty was featured on many early United States coins because of her symbolism. She was based on Libertas, a Roman goddess, the feminine embodiment of liberty. This was significant for two reasons: It established the United States as the land of Liberty and made a clear distinction between the US and Great Britain. While British coins depicted monarchs like kings and queens, Congress chose the embodiment of a virtue.  The Coinage Act of 1792 mandated an “impression emblematic of liberty” as well as the word Liberty. For more than 100 years, the American-adapted depiction of Liberty was featured on circulating US coins. 

Who was the Model for Liberty? 

Few records were kept regarding the early models used to craft images of Liberty. One record that was confirmed and fairly easy to substantiate was Audrey Munson’s work posing for Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty half dollar. Munson was referred to as “America’s first supermodel” and, because of her likeness on numerous sculptures around New York City, was also known as Miss Manhattan.  

Another model for Liberty that has been recorded was not on the half dollar but the Morgan silver dollar. Anna Willess Williams was a teacher and writer referred to George T. Morgan by Thomas Eakins. Williams sat through five sessions with George T. Morgan, who considered her profile the most perfect he had seen in Great Britain or the United States. Despite her desire to keep her identity hidden, it was revealed shortly after the first release of the Morgan silver dollar. 

List of Half Dollars by Year and Designer  

The United States half dollar, also known as fifty cent piece, has a long lineage dating back to 1794. Over the years, it has undergone several design changes. Initially, Lady Liberty graced the obverse, but in 1948, the first Franklin half dollars were struck and Benjamin Franklin replaced her. Iin 1964, the iconic image of President John F. Kennedy took center stage. Although half dollars are no longer widely circulated, they remain legal tender.