Franklin Half Dollar

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Specifications
Designer	John R. Sinnock
Obverse	Benjamin Franklin Bust
Reverse	Liberty Bell
Edge	Reeded
Weight	12.50 grams
Diameter	30.6 millimeters
Composition	90% Silver, 10% Copper
Dates	1948 - 1963

The Franklin Half Dollar was the only coin to feature a non-president ---until 1979, when the Susan B. Anthony Dollar was introduced.

Specifications

Designer: John R. Sinnock
Obverse Design: Benjamin Franklin Bust
Reverse Design: Liberty Bell
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 12.50 grams
Diameter: 30.6 millimeters
Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Dates Minted: 1948 - 1963

Background

The Franklin half dollar, struck from 1948 to 1963, actually holds a place in U.S. numismatic history. It’s the last U.S. coin series to be struck entirely in silver. Yes, the 1964 Kennedy half dollar contains 90% silver, and the 1965-70 Kennedy’s contain 40% silver, but from 1971 to present, the Kennedy half dollars are all clad. But every single Franklin half dollar is a 90% silver coin.

The Franklin half dollar is notable for another reason. It’s the first large-denomination (twenty-five cents and over) U.S. silver coin NOT to employ an eagle as its main reverse design! In fact, it was not until AFTER this coin was designed, that the tiny eagle next to the Liberty Bell was added. It had to be. Early legislation required that the eagle be present on larger denomination silver coins.

The Franklin half dollar is notable for yet ANOTHER reason. It’s the last San Francisco mint half dollar to be struck for circulation, though S-mint Franklins were not struck for the duration of the series. The last S-mint Franklin half dollar to be struck, however, was in 1954. The San Francisco mint resumed striking half dollars again in 1965, but only as inclusions in S-mint Proof sets.

History

John Sinnock designed the The Franklin half dollar. His simple, yet classic design, replaced the strikingly beautiful Walking Liberty half dollar of 1916-47. The Franklin half was also probably the last half dollar to truly achieve widespread circulation. The many circulated examples that survive today attest to this.

With all this history behind it, the Franklin half dollar has achieved a following amongst coin collectors. They like the obsolete yet classic design featuring one of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin. They like the fact that all these large coins are silver. And many collectors remember using these half dollars during their youth. And the best part is, it’s not too hard to complete a date/mintmark set of Franklin half dollars.

Grading

In About Uncirculated condition, all dates and mintmarks can be purchased for $30 and under. All dates from 1956 to 1963 can be purchased for as little as $10 and under in basic mint state condition! The toughest dates to track down in basic mint-state condition are the 1949 ($38.50), 1949-D ($43.50), 1949-S ($62.50), and 1952-S ($46). The 1955 Franklin half dollar is the lowest mintage of the series at approximately 2.8 million. Proof Franklin half dollars from the late 1950’s to 1963 can often be purchased in the $12-$17 range, which has to be a bargain for a Proof silver coin with a no-longer-used design!

The Franklin half dollar might still be with us today, had it not been for the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy. That tragic day in 1963 spelled the end for the Franklin half dollar. In fact, it took only 24 days, from the time President Johnson asked Congress to ok the striking of Kennedy half dollars, for the first dies to be completed at the Philadelphia mint! In 1964, the Kennedy half dollar was introduced to the American public, and instantly, became a widely hoarded coin. That pattern has pretty much held with Kennedy half dollars, as this coin has really never achieved true circulation in American commerce.

Though Franklin half dollars were minted in the tens of millions, and are not hard to find today, there may not be as many out there as mintage records indicate. This is due to large-scale silver coin meltings that took place in the mid 1960’s once it was clear that pre-1965 U.S silver coins contained higher silver content than their face value. Then, there were MORE mass silver coin meltings around 1980 when silver soared to $50 an ounce! The relatively recent Franklin half dollars, being big, silver, and recently saved for their precious metal content, were prime targets for the melting pot. That doesn’t mean that Franklins are rare today, or even scarce—just not as common as one might surmise.

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