2006 Silver Dollar

Throughout the years, different coins have been designed and minted with specific reasons or purposes, whether it was to fulfill a need for coins, to celebrate some memorial event, as an investment tool or as a commemorative piece. The 2006 Silver Dollar is a coin that has fulfilled many needs to both collectors and the public in general.

Purpose of the 2006 Silver Dollar

The denomination of the 2006 Silver Dollar is the same as its face value: one dollar ($1). The coins that come to mind for 2006 are the Silver Commemorative Silver Dollars that honor the birth of Benjamin Franklin, founding father of our country. They were minted in 2006 and feature a very vivid Ultra Cameo design. The cameo effect on the coin is the result of a high contrast between the areas surrounding an image and the actual image itself. This cameo appearance has made this coin a topic of conversation as well as a thing of beauty. This commemorative coin is an excellent tribute to both an excellent President and a great inventor. There are actually two Benjamin Franklin Commemorative 2006 Silver Dollars: Scientist and Founding Father.

Benjamin Franklin Commemorative "Scientist" Silver Dollar

The front of the coin has an image of Benjamin Franklin as a young man striving to get his inventions to perfection. It's also referred to as the 2006 Franklin "Scientist" Silver Dollar because it reminds us of his great strides in inventions and specifically his experiments with electricity, as he is shown flying his infamous kite. The words LIBERTY and the dates 1706-2006 are on the top of the Franklin 2006 Silver Dollar. The words BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SCIENTIST are to the right of his body and IN GOD WE TRUST is to the left of his legs.

The reverse side of this 2006 Silver Dollar has the political cartoon "Join or Die", which Franklin made famous. This cartoon consisted of a severed snake, which was meant to portray Franklin's idea that colonial unity was definitely a matter of life and death. Above the cartoon can be seen the words E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above them. The bottom of this coin has the words ONE DOLLAR. In addition to the coin being a way to pay tribute to Benjamin Franklin, this coin is also very interesting and striking to look at, a reason why many choose to collect it.

Benjamin Franklin Commemorative "Founding Father" Dollar

Although the 2006 Silver Dollar depicting Benjamin Franklin as a young man is one of the most popular coins commemorating Franklin, it is not the only design. The Founding Father 2006 Franklin coin is equally interesting and sought after. This coin has an image of Benjamin Franklin on the front that was taken from a bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Don Everhart was designed the front of the coin and the back was designed by Donna Weaver, who took the idea from the 1776 Continental Currency dollar. This 2006 Silver Dollar is made of 90% silver and 10% copper for a total weight of 1 oz. It is 1.49" in diameter.
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