1961 Franklin Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 8,290,000 made
- Mintage
- 8,290,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1961 Franklin Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3617 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full bell lines (FBL)
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1961 Franklin Half Dollar rare?
- No. 8.3 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1961 Franklin Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1961 Franklin Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, above the Liberty Bell's beam. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1961 are scarcer?
- The 1956 at 4,032,000, the 1958 at 4,042,000, the 1957 at 5,114,000, plus 2 more. So the 1961 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1961 Franklin Half Dollar coins were made?
- 8,290,000.
What to check on your 1961
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1961 Franklin Half Dollar Proof (3,028,244 made) is the one to compare with.
- Judge the grade under good light. The lower bell lines are the key: Full Bell Lines coins sell for several times the price of ordinary ones.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1961
Output at Philadelphia climbed to 8,290,000 in 1961, from 6 million the year before. The next year it made 9.7 million (1962).
1961-D came to 20 million, so neither mint's 1961 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Philadelphia struck the Franklin Half Dollar in 16 issues between 1948 and 1963. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1955 (2,498,181). Among the 1960s issues, only the 1960 had a smaller run.
Higher mintages and the end of Franklin (1960 to 1963)
Demand for coins climbed in the early 1960s. Denver struck 67,069,292 halves in 1963, the largest Franklin mintage. A 1961 proof variety shows a doubled die reverse with strong doubling in E PLURIBUS UNUM and in the lettering. The 1963 Philadelphia mintage of more than 25 million was also a record for that mint.
After President Kennedy was killed in November 1963, Congress quickly approved a new half dollar in his honor. The Franklin design therefore ended after only 16 years. Late Franklin halves were widely saved and are common in mint state, though coins with sharp bell lines from 1960 to 1963 are in demand. Proofs of these years were made in the millions. All are 90 percent silver.
How to recognize it
John Sinnock's portrait shows Benjamin Franklin facing right with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST below and the date to the right. The reverse shows the Liberty Bell, crack included, with a small eagle to the right. The mint mark is above the bell's beam. Collectors look for "full bell lines", where the horizontal lines at the bottom of the bell are complete.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Franklin Half Dollar (1948–1963) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1961 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 8,290,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.5 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3617 troy oz (11.250 g) |
| Designer | John R. Sinnock (completed by Gilroy Roberts) |
Other 1961 Franklin Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Franklin Half Dollar | 8,290,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1961 Franklin Half Dollar Proof | 3,028,244 | Proof | 0.3617 oz |
| 1961-D Franklin Half Dollar | 20,276,442 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.