Franklin Half Dollar

In 1963, a bill was pushed through Congress that would replace the Franklin Half Dollar with the Kennedy Half Dollar, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Many of the Franklin Half Dollars were melted down as silver bullion in 1964-1965 because the intrinsic value exceeded the face value in US silver coins.

Franklin Half-Dollar Coin Design – The Franklin Half-Dollar, minted 1948-1963, pictures Benjamin Franklin on the front side of the coin and the Liberty Bell on the back side of the coin. The US national symbol of an eagle is shown to the right of the bell as requested by law, even though Franklin preferred the turkey, stating is was a more noble bird.

Franklin Half-Dollar Coin Minting – About 510 million Franklin Half Dollars were minted during the period 1948-1963. Coins that do not display a mint mark were minted in Philadelphia. Coins that display a small “D” were minted in Denver, and coins that display a small “S” were minted in San Francisco. The mint marks for Denver and San Francisco are visible on the back side of the coin and centered above the bell. The initials of the Engraver, John R. Sinnock, appear on the front side of the coin near Franklin’s shoulder.

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