Franklin Half Dollar Values & Mintages
Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell appeared on the half dollar from 1948 until 1963. Every Franklin half is 90% silver. Collectors chase "Full Bell Lines" (FBL) coins, where the lines across the bottom of the bell are complete.
- Years
- 1948–1963
- Issues listed
- 49
- Lowest mintage
- 2.50M
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip.
Designer: John R. Sinnock (completed by Gilroy Roberts).
Key dates: lowest mintages
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| Owned✓ | Coin | Year | Mint | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 Franklin Half Dollar | 1948 | None | 3,006,814 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1948-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1948 | D | 4,028,600 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1949 Franklin Half Dollar | 1949 | None | 5,614,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1949-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1949 | D | 4,120,600 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1949-S Franklin Half Dollar | 1949 | S | 3,744,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1950 Franklin Half Dollar | 1950 | None | 7,742,123 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1950 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1950 | None | 51,386 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1950-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1950 | D | 8,031,600 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1951 Franklin Half Dollar | 1951 | None | 16,802,102 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1951 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1951 | None | 57,500 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1951-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1951 | D | 9,475,200 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1951-S Franklin Half Dollar | 1951 | S | 13,696,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1952 Franklin Half Dollar | 1952 | None | 21,192,093 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1952 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1952 | None | 81,980 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1952-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1952 | D | 25,395,600 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1952-S Franklin Half Dollar | 1952 | S | 5,526,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1953 Franklin Half Dollar | 1953 | None | 2,668,120 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1953 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1953 | None | 128,800 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1953-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1953 | D | 20,900,400 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1953-S Franklin Half Dollar | 1953 | S | 4,148,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1954 Franklin Half Dollar | 1954 | None | 13,188,202 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1954 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1954 | None | 233,300 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1954-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1954 | D | 25,445,580 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1954-S Franklin Half Dollar | 1954 | S | 4,993,400 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1955 Franklin Half Dollar | 1955 | None | 2,498,181 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1955 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1955 | None | 378,200 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1956 Franklin Half Dollar | 1956 | None | 4,032,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1956 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1956 | None | 669,384 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1957 Franklin Half Dollar | 1957 | None | 5,114,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1957 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1957 | None | 1,247,952 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1957-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1957 | D | 19,966,850 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1958 Franklin Half Dollar | 1958 | None | 4,042,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1958 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1958 | None | 875,652 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1958-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1958 | D | 23,962,412 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1959 Franklin Half Dollar | 1959 | None | 6,200,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1959 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1959 | None | 1,149,291 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1959-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1959 | D | 13,053,750 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1960 Franklin Half Dollar | 1960 | None | 6,024,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1960 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1960 | None | 1,691,602 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1960-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1960 | D | 18,215,812 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1961 Franklin Half Dollar | 1961 | None | 8,290,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1961 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1961 | None | 3,028,244 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1961-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1961 | D | 20,276,442 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1962 Franklin Half Dollar | 1962 | None | 9,714,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1962 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1962 | None | 3,218,019 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1962-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1962 | D | 35,473,281 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1963 Franklin Half Dollar | 1963 | None | 22,164,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1963 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 1963 | None | 3,075,645 | Proof | 0.3617 oz | |
| 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar | 1963 | D | 67,069,292 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Composition by year
| Years | Metal | Weight | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–1963 | 90% silver, 10% copper | 12.5 g | 0.3617 oz |
Mint mark location
1948–1963: On the reverse, above the Liberty Bell's beam. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
Grading tips
The lower bell lines are the key: Full Bell Lines coins sell for several times the price of ordinary ones.
How Franklin reached the half dollar
Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross admired Benjamin Franklin and pushed for a coin in his honor. Sinnock based the portrait on Jean-Antoine Houdon's famous bust of Franklin. The Liberty Bell reverse echoed Sinnock's earlier design for the 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar. The law required an eagle on the reverse of coins larger than a dime, so a small eagle was placed to the right of the bell.
The Commission of Fine Arts disapproved, objecting to the tiny eagle and to the crack shown on the bell. The Treasury went ahead anyway. Proof Franklins were made from 1950 to 1963. Some proofs show strong cameo contrast that collectors seek.
The 1950 proof had a mintage of only 51,386, the lowest of the Franklin proofs. Many business strikes of the late 1950s were made from worn dies, so a coin with crisp bell lines from those years is harder to find than its mintage suggests.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rarest Franklin Half Dollar?
By mintage, the scarcest regular circulation issue is the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar with 2,498,181 struck, followed by the 1953 Franklin Half Dollar (2,668,120). Survival rates and condition also matter: some higher-mintage dates are scarce in top grades.
Are Franklin Half Dollars silver?
1948–1963: 90% silver, 10% copper.
Where is the mint mark on a Franklin Half Dollar?
1948–1963: On the reverse, above the Liberty Bell's beam. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
How many Franklin Half Dollars were made?
About 465,814,454 for circulation across 35 date and mint combinations, from 67,069,292 for the 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar down to 2,498,181 for the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar.
Who designed the Franklin Half Dollar?
John R. Sinnock (completed by Gilroy Roberts).
Why is there a small eagle on the Franklin half dollar?
The law at the time required an eagle on the reverse of coins larger than a dime, so Sinnock added a small eagle beside the Liberty Bell.
Who chose Benjamin Franklin for the half dollar?
Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross championed the design. The coin was first released in 1948.
Other half dollars
Flowing Hair Half Dollar
1794–1795 · 2 issues
Draped Bust Half Dollar
1796–1807 · 7 issues
Capped Bust Half Dollar
1807–1839 · 35 issues
Seated Liberty Half Dollar
1839–1891 · 116 issues
Barber Half Dollar
1892–1915 · 73 issues
Walking Liberty Half Dollar
1916–1947 · 72 issues
Kennedy Half Dollar
1964–present · 217 issues
Mintages from Wikipedia's US Mint-sourced tables (CC BY-SA 4.0). Specifications from US Mint records. All sources.