History of the Franklin Half Dollar
In 1948 Chief Engraver for The United States Mint, John R. Sinnock sculpted the design for the Franklin half dollar based upon a bust statue of Benjamin Franklin created by Jean Antoine Houdon. The reverse features a large rendition of the Liberty Bell that is very similar in design to the reverse of the 1926 Sesquicentennial of the American Independence commemorative half dollar. When they were first released, the blasé design on the obverse paled in comparison to the previous Walking Liberty half dollar design by Weinberg. American public greeted the new Franklin half dollars with lackluster appreciation. At this time in the history of the United States, half dollars were the workhorse of the economy and circulated freely. Because of its lackluster design not many people collected them for their numismatic value. However, some people retained bank-wrapped rolls of uncirculated Franklin half dollars which would later come on the market for today’s coin collectors looking to assemble a nice collection of uncirculated Franklin half dollars.
Market Analysis for Franklin Half Dollar Prices
Franklin half dollars are made of 90% silver and have approximately 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver in them. Depending on the current price of silver, the coin could be worth more because of its silver content than its value to a coin collector. The value of a coin that is solely based on its metallic content is known as the intrinsic metal value (or bullion value) of the coin.
Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties
Franklin half dollars do not have any rare dates or varieties. This makes them very affordable for the average coin collector in just about any grade. However, there are some mint errors that are highly sought after by collectors that specialize in error coins.
Condition or Grade
If your coin is worn and looks similar to the one illustrated below, it is considered a circulated coin. If your coin looks similar to the one illustrated below and has no evidence of wear due to being in circulation, it is considered an uncirculated coin.
Mint Marks
As illustrated in the photo in the photo below, the mint mark is located on the reverse of the coin, just above the top of the Liberty Bell and below the word “STATES”. Franklin half dollars were produced at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S).
Franklin Half Dollar Average Prices and Values
The buy price is what you can expect to pay to a dealer to purchase the coin, while the sell value is what you can expect a dealer to pay to you if you sell the coin to him. The first column lists the date and mintmark followed by the buy price and the sell value for an average circulated Franklin half dollar. The next two columns list the buy price and the sell value for an average uncirculated coin. These are approximate retail prices and wholesale values. The actual offer you receive from a particular coin dealer will vary depending on the actual grade of the coin and a number of other factors that determine its worth. The last section in the table lists values and prices for Proof Franklin Half Dollars. Coins that exhibit a cameo (CAM) or deep cameo (DCAM) contrast are worth considerably more. The United States Mint at Philadelphia prepared all proof coin dies for the Franklin half dollar series. Proof coin die preparation before 1971 consisted of a process that yielded inconsistent cameo contrast on Proof coins. This was especially true for the Proof Franklin half dollars. Only the first 100 or so coins produced from a set of coin dies yielded a cameo contrast between the devices and the field. Remaining coins pressed from the same dies exhibited a weakening cameo contrast as the coin die deteriorated.
