Quote:
they are a tad bit bigger than a half dollar
If that's the case, they were struck at some time after about 1972. That's when the Mint began to strike such "miniatures" of the medals in its Presidential Series - the goal was to attract young collectors to the Mint's medals.
As noted previously, the condition of your medals greatly impacts their market value. Unfortunately, you'd likely be hard pressed to find a collector willing to pay even a $1 or $2 for either.
I'd suggest holding on to them as keepsakes from your mother.
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.