The 1939 Arkansas half dollars are the last of a five-year run of coins honoring the 100th anniversary of the admission of Arkansas to the Union in 1836. While the Arkansas halves initially saw brisk sales upon their debut in 1935, numbers collapsed later in the half-decade run. This, perhaps, is due to public dismay over the overwhelming number of distinct commemorative coins in the mid 1930s and news of rampant financial abuses with funds raised by various special-issue coins.

The 1939 commemorative half dollars feature an obverse by Everett Burr depicting an eagle and rays, while the reverse showcases a jugate portrait of a Native American chief of 1836 and an American woman of 1935, as designed by Emily Bates. The 1939 Arkansas commemorative half dollars were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints and sold by the Arkansas Centennial Commission in three-piece sets for $10.

Virtually all surviving 1939 Arkansas halves are known in uncirculated condition, and most are encountered in grades of MS60-65. Examples in grades of MS66 are rare, and those grading higher are extremely rare. Most specimens exhibit frosty luster, and many are toned.