Benjamin Franklin was on the U.S. half dollar immediately before John F. Kennedy.

Quick Scoop

Before the Kennedy half dollar debuted in 1964, the fifty‑cent piece featured Benjamin Franklin on the front and the Liberty Bell (with a small eagle) on the back. This design, known as the Franklin half dollar, was minted from 1948 until 1963, when it was replaced to honor President Kennedy after his assassination.

A tiny bit more history

  • The Franklin half dollar made Franklin one of the few non‑presidents on circulating U.S. coinage.
  • Jacqueline Kennedy supported using the half dollar for JFK specifically because it would not displace another president’s portrait, only Franklin’s.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.