Franklin Half Dollar

Franklin Half Dollar Coin was designed by an engraver called John Sinnock, who was involved in the creation of other American coin designs.  The obverse side of Franklin Half Dollar showed a profile bust of Franklin, facing right.  In order to reflect Franklin’s Philadelphia roots and his achievements as a Founding Father, the design on the reverse side was centered on the Liberty Bell, crack and all.  Unfortunately, Sinnock passed away before completing his design, so Gilroy Roberts, his assistant, took over.  One of Roberts’ tasks was to revise Franklin Half Dollar Coin’s design so that it showed the required eagle.  However, this design was not met with universal approval.  The Commission of Fine Arts did not like the crack on the bell, or the tiny eagle that had been clearly added only to satisfy the regulations.  Even so, Treasury authorities supported Sinnock’s design, and it eventually pushed through.

Unfortunately, the Franklin Half Dollar Coin’s life was cut short with the assassination of President Kennedy.  Minting officials did not wait long after that President’s death to approve a coin memorializing him, thus shunting the Franklin Half Dollar to the side.  Even so, fans of Benjamin Franklin need not be too disappointed, given that his portrait graces the hundred-dollar bill.

Franklin Half Dollar Coin’s short life means that there are very few variations to choose from. Also, many Franklin Half Dollar Coins were minted, so there are no legendary rarities, either.  Still, some coins are considered better than others, especially those with particularly full detailing of the horizontal lines on the Liberty Bell.  Such coins are called FBL.  However, you should buy Franklin Half Dollar Coins from a reliable source, because some sites/stores are likely to give an FBL rating even if the detailing is not all that good.

Franklin Half Dollar Fair Market Values in U.S. Dollars (1948-1963)

Franklin Half Dollar Coins on eBay

N.115 1962-D " BEN FRANKLIN 90% PURE SILVER HALF DOLLAR" {CIRCULATED}

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US $14.99

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