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Silver Half
Dollars were once part of American coinage – but silver coins disappeared
generations ago, and circulating Half Dollars are now a long-forgotten
memory. This unique collection features one Walking Liberty Silver Half
Dollar from each of the last three years of issue, 1945-1947.
The Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar was first minted in 1916. It is
considered one of America’s most beautiful coins. The obverse depicts Lady
Liberty wrapped in a U.S. flag and walking towards the rising sun. The
reverse shows a magnificent eagle with its wings stretched.
This was America Half Dollar from World War I through the “Roaring
Twenties,” the Great Depression, and World War II. Each coin was struck in
the beauty of .900 fine silver and is a genuine piece of American history.
The last Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar was made in 1947, shortly
after the end of World War II. It was replaced with the Franklin Silver
Half Dollar in 1948.
The three coins in this collection are rarely seen. In fact, the Walking
Liberty Silver Half Dollar disappeared from circulation over 55 years ago.
What’s more, most coins were worn out or damaged in circulation, leaving
just a fraction in collectible quality like those in this collection.
Each coin contains over 1/3 ounce of silver bullion – and millions of
coins were melted for the precious silver in 1979-80 when silver reached a
record $50.35 an ounce … leaving even fewer coins for today’s collectors.
The last three Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollars date from a truly
historic era. Here are the highlights of each year:
1945: Marines land on Iwo Jima … President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies …
Nazi Germany surrenders … Japan surrenders to bring World War II to an end
… the United Nations is founded.
1946: Winston Churchill coins the phrase “iron curtain” … the post-war
“baby boom” starts … the Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders starts … the
bikini swimsuit is introduced.
1947: Marshall Plan for European reconstruction starts … Jackie Robinson
becomes baseball’s first black player … the U.S. Air Force is established
… the term “UFO” is created after a mysterious sighting in Roswell, New
Mexico.
The set of the last three Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollars is displayed
in a custom holder and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. |
The Franklin Silver Half Dollar was struck
from 1948 until 1963, when it was suddenly replaced with the Kennedy Half
Dollar in memory of President John F. Kennedy. This collection includes
one historic coin from each of the three decades of issue – 1940’s,
1950’s, and 1960’s.
The obverse of the Franklin Silver Half
Dollar features colonial patriot and inventor Benjamin Franklin. He was
the first real person other than a President to appear on a circulating
U.S. coin. Among his many achievements, Franklin was one of the signers
of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
The reverse of the coin shows the Liberty
Bell. According to tradition, this bell was rung to announce the
Declaration of Independence to the people of Philadelphia on July 4,
1776. There is a very small eagle to the right of the bell. By law, this
coin had to show an eagle as the symbol of the United States – but
Franklin thought the wild turkey should be the national bird, so out of
respect for him the eagle was made very small!
The Franklin Silver Half Dollar was the last
coin series made entirely in .900 pure silver. As a result, each coin in
this collection is a rarely-seen silver issue. Due to the rising cost of
silver, millions of these coins were melted over the years – making the
few remaining coins even more sought-after.
The first coin will be dated 1948 or 1949
and is therefore guaranteed to be one of the first two years of issue.
The earliest coins in any series are always highly sought after, and this
is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the earliest Franklin Silver Half
Dollars.
The second coin is from the 1950’s and
symbolizes one of the most progressive eras in U.S. history. It was a
time characterized by unprecedented economic growth … the start of the
space age … “I Like Ike” … the birth of rock ‘n’ roll … and spectacular
automobiles.
The third and final coin will be dated from
1960 to 1963 and is therefore one of the final coins in the series. Like
the first coin, the last coins in any coin series are very desirable.
All three coins are increasingly scarce.
They disappeared from circulation over 40 years ago, and together they
make a spectacular collection of a long-gone classic American coin series. |
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