Coin Type – Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary – 2006

The 300^th Anniversary of the Birth of Benjamin Franklin was an auspicious event for America. Of all the “Founding Fathers” Franklin is the only one to have signed all four of our most important documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris which ended the Revolutionary War and the United States Constitution. The Congress of the United States voted for and approved two commemorative silver dollars for the event. One would depict Franklin as a younger man and the other in his later years. They would be called the “Scientist” for the younger Franklin and the “Founding Father” for the older Franklin. 

The obverse of the Scientist version was designed by Norman E. Nemeth. It depicts a younger Benjamin Franklin flying a kite with a key on it, representing his earlier experiments with electricity and an attempt to harness the power of lightning. Around the upper periphery are “LIBERTY” and “1706 – 2006.” To the right of the figure are “BENJAMIN – FRANKLIN – SCIENTIST” on three lines. To the left and below is “IN GOD WE TRUST.” 

The reverse was designed by Charles Vickers, and it depicts one pf Franklin’s famous political cartoons of a snake being cut into pieces with the caption “JOIN OR DIE” as this cartoon was supposed to influence the colonies that were resisting opposing British rule of the American colonies.  

(A 2006-P Benjamin Franklin Scientist Silver Dollar, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].) 

Both the Uncirculated and Proof versions of the Scientist Silver Dollar were struck at the Philadelphia Mint.  

(A 2006-P Benjamin Franklin Scientist Silver Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].) 

The Benjamin Franklin Founding Father Silver Dollar obverse was designed by Don Everhart. This Commemorative Silver Dollar feature a portrait of an older Franklin as one of America’s Founding Fathers. In an oval below his portrait, his signature is reproduced. To the right of his face are the dates of his birth and the date of this coin, in two lines “1706” and “2006.” Below these dates are the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” and around the periphery are the words “BENJAMIN FRANKLIN TERCENTENARY” and “LIBERTY.”  

The reverse of the Founding Father Silver Dollar was designed by Donna Weaver, and it depicts a Continental Currency Dollar that Franklin designed and intended for use in the fledgling country. Around the periphery of the entire coin is “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and the denomination “ONE DOLLAR.”  

Again, the Found Fathers coins, like the Scientist coins, were struck in both Proof and Uncirculated versions and they were also struck at the Philadelphia Mint. The total authorized mintage between both designs and both Uncirculated and Proof versions was a maximum of 500,000 coins. The coins were sold individually on January 17, 2006, the exact date of the Tercentenary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth.  

(A 2006-P Benjamin Franklin Founding Father Silver Dollar, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].) 

(A 2006-P Benjamin Franklin Founding Father Silver Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].) 

In addition to selling the coins individually, the Uncirculated version of the Scientist coin was included in the Coin & Chronicles Set, which included US Postage stamps of Franklin and a reproduction of the 1758 edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack. Additionally, the Proof version of the Founding Father coin was included in the 2006 American Legacy set. Each of these special sets was limited to a production of not more than 50,000 units.