Own a Franklin Half Dollar – Over a Half-Century Old
The Benjamin Franklin half dollar marked the first time a US half-dollar coin did not picture an allegorical portrait of Liberty. Instead, it features the portrait of the well-loved Founding Father. It was produced from 1948 until 1963, making this coin over 60 years old.
Before the Franklin coin, the Wa... more
Own a Franklin Half Dollar – Over a Half-Century Old
The Benjamin Franklin half dollar marked the first time a US half-dollar coin did not picture an allegorical portrait of Liberty. Instead, it features the portrait of the well-loved Founding Father. It was produced from 1948 until 1963, making this coin over 60 years old.
Before the Franklin coin, the Walking Liberty design had been used on the half dollar for over 25 years. Though the design was popular, it was difficult for the US Mint to strike well. The Mint’s director, Nellie Tayloe Ross, wanted to honor Benjamin Franklin with a coin and chose the half dollar to do it with. Ross had seen a portrait of Franklin on a 1933 medal created by John R. Sinnock, and she asked him to prepare a design for a new coin with the Founding Father’s image.
Sinnock’s inspiration for the portrait was a bust by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon. Sinnock began working on the portrait, as well as the design for the reverse of the coin, but died before the engraving was completed. Sinnock’s successor Gilroy Roberts completed the work on the reverse. It shows the Liberty Bell. The mint mark for the Denver and San Francisco Mints is above the bell. A small eagle was added to the right of the bell because the Coinage Act of 1873 required that the eagle be included on every coin greater than a dime.
The new half dollar was made of 90% silver. It was released on April 30, 1948. The Franklin half dollar continued to be produced until late 1963. It was replaced by the Kennedy half dollar.
Year Issued: 1963
Face Value: $0.50
Mintage: 25,239,645
This 1963 Benjamin Franklin half dollar, produced at the Philadelphia Mint, is a fitting tribute to one of America’s greatest statesmen. Produced decades ago, it has been lovingly preserved. Now you have the chance to own this historic coin. Order yours today.
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