How to Identify the Arkansas Centennial Half Dollar

What This Coin Is

Issued from 1935 through 1939, the Arkansas Centennial Half Dollar commemorates the 100th anniversary of Arkansas statehood. It was designed by Edward Everett Burr with sculptural assistance, and like several 1930s commemoratives, it was struck across multiple years and mints, largely for sale directly to collectors.

Obverse Design & Inscriptions

The obverse shows two conjoined profile heads side by side — a Native American figure representing the past and an idealized Liberty-type female head representing the present — beneath an eagle with spread wings. "ARKANSAS CENTENNIAL" and the relevant date appear in the legend.

Reverse Design & Inscriptions

The reverse depicts an eagle with wings spread, with inscriptions referencing the state and the centennial theme, along with "HALF DOLLAR."

Size, Weight, Metal, Edge

Standard half dollar specifications: about 30.6mm in diameter, 12.5 grams, 90% silver, reeded edge.

Mint Marks & Where to Find Them

Coins were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco across the series, with mint marks appearing on the obverse or reverse near the design elements. Because the series spans five years across three mints, matching both date and mint mark is necessary to identify a specific issue.

Telling It Apart From Similar Coins

The dual conjoined heads on the obverse are distinctive to this series and not found on other commemoratives. Within the series, later-year issues (1938 and 1939) were struck in much smaller numbers than the initial 1935 issue, so date and mint combination matter significantly for identifying a specific coin's scarcity.

Judging Condition at a Glance

Because most issues were sold directly to collectors in complete sets rather than circulated, high-grade examples are common throughout the series. Check the two portrait heads for softness in the hair and profile details, and examine the eagle's wing feathers on both sides for flattening from handling.

Authenticity Red Flags

Confirm weight (12.5 grams) and diameter (30.6mm), and check for a magnetic reaction, which would indicate a fake. Because later, lower-mintage dates in this series carry noticeably higher premiums than the common 1935 issue, be cautious of mint marks or dates that appear altered, re-engraved, or added to a common coin to simulate a scarcer combination — have any example representing a specific date verified by a professional grading service before relying on it.