Half-Dollars
The Mint made the first half dollar in 1794 of silver. The designs from 1794 to 1947 showed a woman symbolizing liberty on the obverse. From 1916 to 1947, the Mint produced the Walking Liberty half dollar. In 1948, an image of Benjamin Franklin replaced Liberty on the obverse of the half dollar. The Kennedy Half Dollar was issued in 1964 and continued until 2002, at which the Mint stopped making half dollars for circulation. In 1971, the Mint removed silver from the half dollar and the composition became copper-nickel clad.
