The Alabama commemorative half dollar honors the state's 100th anniversary of statehood. However, Alabama was admitted to the Union in 1819 meaning this centennial coin came essentially two years late. No matter, as these silver half dollars proposed by the Alabama Centennial Commissions Discussion were very popular coins and remain so today.

The obverse features a jugate portrait of Alabama's first governor, William Wyatt Bibb and then-current governor Thomas E. Kilby. Some Alabama half dollars feature 2X2 inscribed in the right obverse field above the stars and was slated to be a scarcer variety than the plain Alabama half dollar.

Plain Alabama half dollars have always been listed with substantially higher mintages than the 2X2 variety. Thus, the widely held belief is the plain variety is much more common than the Alabama 2X2. However, the 2X2 is encountered with relatively similar frequency as the plain variety. The major difference in rarity comes not in the absolute number of all Alabama 2X2s but rather their condition. While Gem Alabama 2X2s are scarce, plain Alabama half dollars are widely found in grades as high as MS65, with a decent supply of specimens grading higher still.