US Half-Dollar Coin Act

United States Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act

A Proposed Four-Year Coin Program Honoring the Founding Presidents, George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, and the Early United States Capitols

Executive Summary

The proposed United States Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act was developed as a legislative means of bringing greater public recognition to the congressional governments that directed the United Colonies and United States from 1774 through 1789, their presiding officers, George Washington in his founding role as Commander-in-Chief, and the buildings in which Congress conducted the nation’s business.

The proposal grew out of my effort to obtain recognition for the pre-1789 Presidents through the Presidential $1 Coin program. After Klos v. Paulson concluded in 2009 without a decision on the merits of my historical claims, I determined that legislation offered a more appropriate means of pursuing the larger educational objective.

The Half-Dollar proposal envisioned a limited four-year circulating coin program. The obverse designs would commemorate the Presidents of the Continental Congress, the Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled, and George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. The reverse designs would commemorate the buildings, documents, seals, and events associated with the national government during the founding period.

The Kennedy half-dollar would continue to be minted and, after completion of the Founding series, would again become the regular half-dollar design.

Editorial Note, 2026: The legislative language below preserves the substance of the historical proposal. The proposal was styled the U.S. Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act of 2013. Some provisions in the original draft contained earlier implementation dates, including 2006 and 2011, inherited from earlier coin legislation and drafting versions. They are identified here as historical draft language rather than represented as current statutory dates.

Purpose of the Proposal

The proposal had two related purposes:

To use circulating coinage as an educational medium for recognizing the governmental history of the United Colonies and United States from 1774 through 1789.
To encourage renewed public use of the half-dollar through a limited series of changing historical designs, while ultimately preserving the Kennedy half-dollar as the continuing regular design.

The proposal focused upon three successive phases of the founding Congress:

United Colonies Continental Congress: September 5, 1774 through July 1, 1776.
United States Continental Congress: July 2, 1776 through February 28, 1781.
United States in Congress Assembled: March 1, 1781 through March 3, 1789.

George Washington’s service as Commander-in-Chief of the United Colonies and States, from June 15, 1775 through December 23, 1783, would be commemorated within this founding sequence.

Proposed Legislative Text

An Act to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the Presidents of the Continental Congress and United States in Congress Assembled, together with George Washington as Commander-in-Chief and the founding-era United States Capitols, and to encourage circulation of the half-dollar coin.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “U.S. Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act of 2013.”

TITLE I — PRESIDENTIAL AND CAPITOL HALF-DOLLAR COINS

SEC. 101. FINDINGS

Congress finds the following:

There are sectors of the United States economy, including public transportation, parking, vending, and other low-dollar transactions, in which circulating half-dollar coins may provide a useful medium of exchange.
The half-dollar has ceased to circulate widely in ordinary commerce.
The success of circulating commemorative programs, including the 50 State Quarters Program, demonstrated that regularly changing designs can increase public interest in United States coinage.
Such circulating coin programs can also serve an educational purpose by introducing Americans and visitors to people, places, and events in the nation’s history.
The Kennedy half-dollar became extraordinarily popular following its introduction in 1964. Large numbers were subsequently removed from ordinary circulation by collectors, silver holders, and admirers of President John F. Kennedy.
The United States Mint changed the half-dollar to a copper-nickel clad composition in 1971, but the denomination nevertheless failed to regain sustained circulation.
President John F. Kennedy occupies an important place in American history, and the proposed temporary Founding series is intended to complement rather than permanently replace the Kennedy half-dollar.
The half-dollar is one of the nation’s longest-established circulating denominations and provides a large surface suitable for historically detailed designs.
A changing historical design program could encourage renewed public interest in the denomination.
The United Colonies conducted their early national affairs through the Continental Congress, whose delegates elected Presidents beginning in 1774.
After the Articles of Confederation became fully operative in 1781, the United States in Congress Assembled elected Presidents who served the federal government created under that compact.
The Presidents who presided over the Continental Congress and the United States in Congress Assembled remain unfamiliar to much of the American public.
George Washington served in the distinct founding office of Commander-in-Chief of the Continental forces from 1775 until his resignation in 1783.
The proposed Founding Half-Dollar series would use circulating coinage to identify these Presidents, Washington’s service as Commander-in-Chief, and the principal locations in which the national Congress convened.
The founding Congress met in a succession of buildings and locations during the Revolutionary and Confederation periods, reflecting the unsettled and mobile character of the early national government.
The larger format of the half-dollar provides an opportunity for historically detailed portraits and architectural designs.
Appropriate inscriptions may be placed on the coin’s edge when necessary to preserve sufficient space for the principal artwork.

Richard Henry Lee’s Stratford Hall

SEC. 102. U.S. FOUNDING HALF-DOLLAR COIN PROGRAM

The proposed legislation would amend section 5112 of title 31, United States Code, by establishing a temporary program for the redesign and issuance of circulating half-dollar coins honoring the founding Presidents and Commander-in-Chief on the obverse and significant founding-era Capitol buildings, documents, seals, or events on the reverse.

(1) Temporary Redesign

During the Founding Half-Dollar program:

The obverse would bear designs emblematic of the Presidents of the Continental Congress, the Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled, and George Washington as Commander-in-Chief.
The reverse would bear designs associated with the buildings, documents, seals, and major events of the congressional government they served.
The Secretary of the Treasury would continue to mint Kennedy half-dollars during the program.
The Founding designs would constitute a significant portion of half-dollars issued during the program so that the coins could enter ordinary circulation as well as the numismatic market.

(2) Design Requirements

Reverse Designs

The reverses would commemorate buildings and symbols associated with the Continental Congress and United States in Congress Assembled, including:

City Tavern, Philadelphia
Carpenters’ Hall, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), Philadelphia
Henry Fite’s House, Baltimore
Lancaster Court House, Lancaster
York-Town Court House, York
College Hall, Philadelphia
the Articles of Confederation
the Great Seal of the United States
Prospect House, Princeton
Nassau Hall, Princeton
Maryland State House, Annapolis
French Arms Tavern, Trenton
New York City Hall/Federal Hall
Fraunces Tavern, New York

Each reverse would include appropriate identification of the location, event, document, or symbol, together with the denomination and “United States of America.”

Obverse Designs

The obverse sequence would commemorate:

Peyton Randolph
Henry Middleton
John Hancock
George Washington as Commander-in-Chief
Henry Laurens
John Jay
Samuel Huntington
Thomas McKean
John Hanson
Elias Boudinot
Thomas Mifflin
Richard Henry Lee
John Hancock in his later service
Nathaniel Gorham
Arthur St. Clair
Cyrus Griffin

Each obverse would identify the individual, the office or congressional body served, and the appropriate dates of service.

Edge Inscriptions

The proposal contemplated edge-incused inscriptions for the year of minting or issuance and, where appropriate, the traditional inscriptions E Pluribus Unum and In God We Trust, permitting more of the obverse and reverse surfaces to be devoted to portraiture and architectural artwork.

Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and the Half-Dollar proposal

(3) Four-Year Order of Issuance

Program Year	Proposed Obverse Subjects
Year One	Peyton Randolph, Henry Middleton, John Hancock, and George Washington as Commander-in-Chief
Year Two	Henry Laurens, John Jay, Samuel Huntington as Continental Congress President, and Samuel Huntington as President of the United States in Congress Assembled
Year Three	Thomas McKean, John Hanson, Elias Boudinot, and Thomas Mifflin
Year Four	Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Nathaniel Gorham, Arthur St. Clair, and Cyrus Griffin

Special treatment: John Hancock and Samuel Huntington each served in more than one founding governmental phase. The proposal therefore contemplated separate designs recognizing their distinct periods of service.

Proposed Reverse Pairings

Obverse	Reverse Subject	Proposed Historical Inscription or Theme
Peyton Randolph	City Tavern	First Congressional Caucus
Henry Middleton	Carpenters’ Hall	Articles of Association
John Hancock	Independence Hall	Declaration of Independence
George Washington	Henry Fite’s House, Baltimore	Victory at Trenton
Henry Laurens	York-Town Court House	Victory at Saratoga
John Jay	College Hall	U.S. Peace Commissioners
Samuel Huntington	Independence Hall	Charleston Surrenders
Samuel Huntington	Articles of Confederation	Perpetual Union Ratified, 1781
Thomas McKean	Independence Hall	Victory at Yorktown
John Hanson	Great Seal of the United States	Great Seal of the United States, 1782
Elias Boudinot	Nassau Hall	Treaty of Paris, 1783
Thomas Mifflin	Maryland State House	Commander-in-Chief Resigns
Richard Henry Lee	French Arms Tavern	Western Land Ordinance
John Hancock	Lancaster Court House	Congress in Flight
Nathaniel Gorham	New York City Hall	Shays’ Rebellion
Arthur St. Clair	New York City Hall	Northwest Ordinance
Cyrus Griffin	Fraunces Tavern	Constitution Ratified

(4) Number of Designs

The Secretary would determine the appropriate quantity of each design, with the Founding series issued throughout the limited program until each designated President and the Commander-in-Chief had been honored.

(5) Legal Tender

The coins minted under the proposal would be legal tender as provided by federal law.

(6) Numismatic Treatment

Coins issued under the program could also be treated as numismatic items for appropriate Mint purposes.

(7) Proof and Uncirculated Coins

The Secretary could issue proof and uncirculated versions of the Founding Half-Dollar designs in quantities deemed appropriate.

(8) Termination

The Founding Half-Dollar program would terminate after the designated subjects had been honored and could not be resumed without further congressional authorization.

(9) Return of the Kennedy Half-Dollar

Upon termination of the Founding series, the regular half-dollar design would return to the Kennedy design.

SEC. 104. REMOVAL OF BARRIERS TO CIRCULATION

The proposal also sought to improve the practical circulation of the half-dollar.

(1) Federal Acceptance and Use

Federal agencies, instrumentalities, federally supported transportation systems, vending operations, and other entities conducting coin or currency transactions on federal premises would be encouraged or required, as appropriate under final legislative language, to ensure that their equipment and business operations were capable of accepting and dispensing half-dollar coins.

(2) Public Awareness

The United States Mint would work with consumer groups, educational institutions, media organizations, and other interested parties to promote public awareness of the Founding Half-Dollar program and the availability of the coins.

(3) Coordination with Coin Users

The Secretary of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve System would consult with organizations and industries whose operations depend upon circulating coinage, including:

merchants;
vending-machine manufacturers and operators;
transit systems;
municipal parking operations;
financial institutions;
coin and currency handlers;
armored-car operators;
car-wash operators; and
coin collectors and dealers.

The objective would be to identify impediments to circulation, improve distribution, ensure useful packaging such as rolled coins, and make newly issued designs readily available for both commerce and collecting.

(4) Bullion and Numismatic Distribution

The United States Mint would take reasonable steps to maintain broad and reliable distribution of any bullion or numismatic products authorized in connection with the program.

(5) Review of Co-Circulation

The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve would review the circulation of both the Founding designs and Kennedy half-dollars and report to Congress concerning obstacles to effective circulation and possible improvements.

College of William & Mary and the Half-Dollar proposal

SEC. 105. SENSE OF CONGRESS

It would be the sense of Congress that:

The temporary Founding series could increase public use and recognition of the half-dollar denomination.
The continued minting and subsequent restoration of the Kennedy half-dollar would preserve a lasting numismatic tribute to President John F. Kennedy.
The potential circulation benefits of the half-dollar cannot be achieved unless the coins are distributed in forms useful for ordinary commerce.
The program should avoid an unnecessarily expensive taxpayer-funded promotional campaign.
The Founding coins should be designed to the highest practicable artistic standard.
The United States Mint should take reasonable measures to preserve the appearance and durability of the coins without imposing unnecessary expense.
Any Mint facility mark or similar inscription could be placed on the edge when appropriate to maximize the artistic space available on the principal faces.

United States Mint and the Half-Dollar proposal

The Congressional Evolution Behind the Proposal

The Founding Half-Dollar proposal was designed around the succession of congressional governments that preceded the present constitutional Presidency.

United Colonies Continental Congress

September 5, 1774 to July 1, 1776

President	Service
Peyton Randolph	September 5 – October 22, 1774
Henry Middleton	October 22 – October 26, 1774
Peyton Randolph	May 20 – May 24, 1775
John Hancock	May 24, 1775 – July 1, 1776

Commander-in-Chief

George Washington: June 15, 1775 – December 23, 1783

United States Continental Congress

July 2, 1776 to February 28, 1781

President	Service
John Hancock	July 2, 1776 – October 29, 1777
Henry Laurens	November 1, 1777 – December 9, 1778
John Jay	December 10, 1778 – September 28, 1779
Samuel Huntington	September 28, 1779 – February 28, 1781

United States in Congress Assembled

March 1, 1781 to March 3, 1789

President	Service
Samuel Huntington	March 1 – July 6, 1781
Thomas McKean	July 10 – November 4, 1781
John Hanson	November 5, 1781 – November 3, 1782
Elias Boudinot	November 4, 1782 – November 2, 1783
Thomas Mifflin	November 3, 1783 – June 3, 1784
Richard Henry Lee	November 30, 1784 – November 22, 1785
John Hancock	November 23, 1785 – June 5, 1786
Nathaniel Gorham	June 6, 1786 – February 1, 1787
Arthur St. Clair	February 2, 1787 – January 21, 1788
Cyrus Griffin	January 22, 1788 – 1789

Samuel Johnston was elected in July 1781 but declined the office and therefore is not included in the coin sequence as a serving President.

Complete List of United Colonies and United States Presidents

Chart Comparing Presidential Powers

The Founding Capitols

The congressional government was mobile. War, military threats, political conditions, and the practical limitations of an early federal government caused Congress to convene in a succession of buildings in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton, and New York.

The proposal therefore treated the Capitol buildings as an essential part of the story. The reverse of each Founding Half-Dollar would connect a President or Commander-in-Chief with a place, document, seal, or event associated with the government he served.

Explore the United States Congressional Capitols

The Founding First Ladies

The original Half-Dollar page included a very large table of the wives of the congressional Presidents and later constitutional Presidents. That material is historically valuable, but it overwhelms the legislative proposal itself. The revised page therefore treats the First Ladies as a related research subject rather than reproducing the complete table here.

The proposal contemplated recognition of the spouses associated with the founding Presidents as part of the larger educational project concerning the governmental and social history of the 1774–1789 period.

Relationship to Klos v. Paulson

The Half-Dollar proposal followed the federal litigation concerning the Presidential $1 Coin Act. In Klos v. Paulson, I sought judicial recognition that the Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled should be included within the Presidential $1 Coin program. The Eleventh Circuit ultimately vacated the District Court’s dismissal and directed dismissal without prejudice because the complaint did not establish Article III standing. The appellate court expressly declined to decide the merits.

I chose not to refile. Instead, I pursued Judge Steven D. Merryday’s suggestion that recognition of the early Presidents should be sought legislatively. The Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act became the principal legislative proposal arising from that decision.

Read Klos v. Paulson: The Presidential $1 Coin Act Litigation

Why the Kennedy Half-Dollar?

The proposal was never intended to erase President Kennedy from the half-dollar. The Founding series was conceived as a limited program, after which the Kennedy design would return as the regular half-dollar.

The concept was that a temporary series of changing historical designs could stimulate interest in a denomination that had largely disappeared from routine commerce while simultaneously introducing the public to an overlooked period of American governmental history.

Historical and Educational Objective

The larger purpose of the Founding Half-Dollar proposal extends beyond numismatics. Coins circulate through millions of hands. They can serve as miniature historical exhibits, placing names, buildings, dates, and events before people who may never encounter them in a textbook or museum.

A coin depicting Samuel Huntington and the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, John Hanson and the Great Seal, Elias Boudinot and Nassau Hall, Thomas Mifflin and Washington’s resignation at Annapolis, or Arthur St. Clair and the Northwest Ordinance would introduce foundational events through an object of ordinary commerce.

That educational objective remains the central purpose of the proposal.

Video Record

Related Research

Retrospective Note

The U.S. Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act represents an effort to use federal coinage to tell a broader story of American government. The current constitutional Presidency beginning with George Washington in 1789 did not arise in a governmental vacuum. It followed fifteen years of continental and confederal government during which Congress declared independence, directed a war, conducted diplomacy, formed a perpetual union under the Articles of Confederation, negotiated peace with Great Britain, organized western territory, established national institutions, and prepared the transition to the Constitution of 1787.

The Founding Half-Dollar proposal sought to place the men, institutions, buildings, and events of that earlier national government into the hands of the American public.

Editorial Note, 2026: This page is a retrospective reconstruction of the original U.S. Founding Half-Dollar Coin Act webpage. It preserves the substance and historical objectives of the proposed legislation while eliminating obsolete Word/Blogger formatting, duplicated material, outdated implementation dates presented as current, and large unrelated tables that made the original page difficult to maintain. The original proposal remains a historical legislative draft and should not be confused with enacted federal law.

Stanley Y. Klos
Independent Scholar and Historian
Historic.us Corporation

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