By Abigail Zechman - February 6, 2026
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The 1955 Franklin Half Dollar, a coin from the midway point in a series that remains popular with fans of vintage U.S. coinage and silver bullion.
Click image to enlarge.
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In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark hired trapper Toussaint
Charbonneau to help guide their
expedition up the Missouri River.
Charbonneau decided to bring his wife,
Sacagawea, along on the expedition
because she was about to give birth to
their son. He also knew that Sacagawea,
as a Lemhi Shoshone woman, would be
helpful for navigating their region and
interpreting for the expedition. Sacagawea
proved herself to be a valuable resource
and played a vital role in the success of
the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
During the expedition, Sacagawea – who
was only 17 years old – had just given
birth to her first son and was the only
woman in the permanent expedition party.
Her presence helped highlight the peace
and trustworthiness of the expedition,
signifying they were not a war party to
the various tribes they met along the
way. She was able to serve as a guide in
the regions of modern-day Idaho and
Montana where she grew up, providing
invaluable insight for their return journey
through the Rocky Mountains. Her work
as an interpreter helped Lewis and Clark
communicate with the indigenous tribes
they encountered along the way, ensuring
the group’s safety, and her knowledge of
edible plants helped keep the expedition
well-fed during their journey.
Despite caring for her newborn the entire
journey, Sacagawea helped lead the group,
facing the same difficulties as everyone
else. She possessed an incredible ability
to remain calm in the face of danger and
helped the group navigate many difficult
situations. Sacagawea saved the expedition
during a crisis when one of their boats
capsized and many of their supplies fell
into the water. While everyone panicked,
she calmly jumped in and rescued all
their supplies that were crucial to the
expedition.
Admiration for Sacagawea was expressed
numerous times throughout Lewis and
Clark’s journals; there is no question
that she was a huge contributor to the
expedition’s success. They respected
her knowledge of the land, looking to
her to choose long-term campsites and
lead the expedition through dangerous
mountainous routes. Sacagawea may
have departed the group at the end of the
journey, but she remained friends with the
expedition leaders. She even visited Clark
in St. Louis, leaving her son to live with
him to get a proper education.
In 2000, Sacagawea was chosen to be
featured on the new golden dollar. The
obverse features a beautiful portrait of
the Lemhi Shoshone woman carrying
her son on her back in the traditional
Hidatsa custom. This highlights how
she maintained her role as a mother
while helping guide the expedition. The
reverse features a proud soaring eagle
that represents the freedom and courage
Sacagawea demonstrated throughout
her life.
Not only are they beautiful coins, but
these golden dollars have also been the
focus of multiple unique promotions from
the United States Mint. In 2000, to
promote the new Sacagawea Dollar, 5,500
coins were hidden in random boxes of
Cheerios for customers to find. These
“Cheerios Dollars” featured a special
reverse that wasn’t discovered until years
later and are now incredibly rare. In
2009, the U.S. Mint began changing the
reverse design every year to honor the
significant contributions of numerous
Native American individuals and tribes.
Most recently, seven 22-karat gold Space
Flown Sacagawea Dollars were made
available for private ownership. In 1999,
a total of 12 gold West Point-minted
Sacagawea Dollars were flown into orbit
on Space Shuttle Columbia. Upon their
return to Earth, these coins were stored in
the Fort Knox Bullion Depository, with
seven specimens being sold in a historical
Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction in
September of 2025.
Article provided by PCGS at www.pcgs.com