|
Benjamin Franklin was one of the nation's most influential Founding Fathers.
A skilled negotiator, he convinced France to lend aid to the American colonists
in their quest for independence from England.
During the summer of 1787,
he successfully mediated disputes that threatened to derail the drafting of the
U.S. Constitution. Franklin was also a leading author and scientist of his
time.
It seemed only fitting that Franklin be honored on U.S. coinage for
his contributions to America. So, in early 1947, Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross asked
Engraver John Sinnock to design a half dollar bearing Franklin's image.
Fourteen years earlier, Sinnock
had prepared a Franklin medal, and this model served as the
inspiration for the obverse of the new half dollar. The reverse featured
the Liberty Bell. Like Franklin, the famous bell was associated with the
city of Philadelphia and the birth of freedom in America.
|
 |
 |
|
Franklin Half Dollar Specifications |
Diameter: |
Weight: |
Minted: |
Composition: |
Designer: |
Edge: |
30.6 mm |
12.50 grams |
1948-1963 |
.100 Copper .900 Silver |
John Sinnock |
Reeded |
|
Coin Photos courtesy of
Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA. |
Sinnock died in
May 1947, before completing his work. The duty of finalizing the Franklin
Half Dollar fell to his assistant, Gilroy Roberts. Federal law required an
eagle on every U.S. coin larger than a dime, and because Sinnock omitted the
bird, Roberts stuck a tiny eagle in an open spot on the reverse.
An enlarged
model of the
design was sent to the Commission of Fine Arts in November 1947 for their
opinion. The Commission was not amused by the "afterthought" eagle.
They also had an unexpected observation concerning the Liberty Bell:
The Commission
are not satisfied with the model of the reverse. The eagle shown on
the model is so small as to be insignificant and hardly discernible when the
model is reduced to the size of a coin. The Commission hesitate to
approve the Liberty Bell as shown with the crack in the bell visible; to
show this might lead to puns and statements derogatory to United States
coinage. The Commission disapprove the designs.
The Commission recommended a public competition to find a new Franklin
Half Dollar. Since the Commission functioned in a purely advisory
role, the Treasury Department opted to ignore their advice and approved the
design rejected by the Commission. The first Franklin Half Dollars
were released in 1948.
The image of Miss Liberty had been a fixture on U.S.
coinage since its humble beginnings in the 1790's. The issuance of the
Franklin Half Dollar completed the transition from the allegorical Liberty
to a real person from history.
Franklin Half Dollars were minted for only 16 years. The series was
abruptly
ended in late 1963, following the
tragic assassination of President
John F. Kennedy. Congress voted to commemorate the fallen president by
placing his profile on the half dollar, bringing the Franklin Half Dollar
series to a premature demise.
There really are not any true key date Franklin Half Dollars. All
dates were
coined in abundant quantities. However, numismatists have
noted that well-struck Franklins displaying clear, full horizontal lines on
the Liberty Bell are quite rare, especially for certain dates. As the
years have gone by, there seems to be no let up in what collectors are
willing to pay for extraordinary "FBL" examples, especially for these dates:
Be sure to buy only examples that have been certified by one of the four leading grading
service companies: PCGS, NGC, IGC, or ANACS. The "FBL" designation
comes too easily for some of the other grading companies, which leads to
disappointment by buyers lured by "bargain" prices. Doing
business with a
dealer having a good record of customer service makes a lot of sense, too.
The left hand side of each "Sales Box" is value trend data over a very long
period of time for a coin of that date in MS-65 FBL condition. The
percent annual increase is computed for comparative purposes. The
right side of the box is a link to eBay US coin auctions, that pulls all FBL
Franklins of these dates in a range of conditions currently for sale.
Keep the advice in the paragraph above in mind as you sort through the
offerings.
|
Half Cents
1793-1857 |
|
Large Cents
1793-1857 |
|
Flying Eagle Cents
1856-1858 |
|
Indian Head Cents
1859-1909 |
|
Lincoln Cents
1909-present |
|
Two and Three
Cents 1851-1889 |
|
Shield Nickels
1866-1883 |
|
Liberty Nickels
1883-1913 |
|
Buffalo Nickels
1913-1938 |
|
Jefferson Nickels 1938-present |
|
Early Half Dimes
1792-1837 |
|
Seated Liberty Half Dimes 1837-1873 |
|
Early Dimes
1796-1837 |
|
Seated Liberty Dimes 1837-1891 |
|
Barber Dimes
1892-1916 |
|
Mercury Dimes
1916-1945 |
|
Roosevelt Dimes 1946-present |
|
Twenty Cents
1875-1878 |
|
Early Quarters
1796-1838 |
|
Seated Liberty Quarters 1838-1891 |
|
Barber Quarters
1892-1916 |
|
Standing Liberty
Quarters 1916-1930 |
|
Washington
Quarters 1932-present |
|
Early Half Dollars
1794-1839 |
|
Seated Liberty
Half Dollars 1839-1891 |
|
Barber Half
Dollars 1892-1915 |
|
Walking Liberty
Half Dollars 1916-1947 |
|
Franklin Half
Dollars 1948-1963 |
|
Kennedy Half Dollars 1964-Present |
|
Early Dollars
1794-1804 |
|
Gobrecht Dollars 1836-1839 |
|
Seated Liberty Dollars 1840-1873 |
|
Trade Dollars
1873-1885 |
|
Morgan Dollars
1878-1921 |
|
Peace Dollars
1921-1935 |
|
Eisenhower Dollars
1971-1978 |
|
Anthony Dollars
1979-1981,1999 |
|
Sacagawea Dollars
2000-present |
|
Presidential Dollars
2007-present |
|
Gold Dollars
1849-1889 |
|
Early Quarter Eagles 1796-1834 |
|
Classic Head Quarter Eagles 1834-1839 |
|
Coronet Quarter
Eagles 1840-1907 |
|
Indian Head
Quarter Eagles 1908-1929 |
|
Three Dollar Gold
1854-1889 |
|
Early Half Eagles
1795-1834 |
|
Classic Head Half Eagles 1834-1838 |
|
Coronet Half
Eagles 1839-1908 |
|
Indian Head Half
Eagles 1908-1929 |
|
Early Eagles
1795-1804 |
|
Coronet Eagles
1838-1907 |
|
Indian Head Eagles
1907-1933 |
|
Coronet Double
Eagles 1849-1907 |
|
St-Gaudens Double
Eagles 1907-1933 |
|
Thomas Jefferson, standing, wisely sought the counsel of
Benjamin Franklin, seated left, and John Adams, in wording the
Declaration of Independence.
Image courtesy of
Library of Congress. |
