Franklin Half Dollar

The Franklin Half Dollar was minted from 1948 to 1963 in the United States. Benjamin Franklin is on the front and the Liberty Bell is on the reverse. A small eagle is to the right of the bell. Franklin actually opposed the selection of the eagle as the symbol of the US, he wanted the turkey as he thought it was a more ‘noble’ bird.

There were 510 million Franklin half dollars minted between 1948 and 1963. Those without a mint mark were minted in Philadelphia and those with a D were minted in Denver while those with a S were made in San Francisco. Engraver John R. Sinnock’s initials appear at Franklin’s shoulder.

A great many of the Franklin half dollars were melted into silver bullion in 1965 when their value exceeded the face value of the US silver coinage. In spite of this, the Franklin halves in good condition are quite affordable today.

One error in the series of the Franklin half dollar is what is called the “Bugs Bunny” error. Damage to the coin’s obverse die put a split in Franklin’s upper lip that gave the appearance of big front teeth. This error is found on the 1955 coins from the Philadelphia mint.

After the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Congress replaced the Franklin half dollar with the Kennedy half dollar in February 1964.