Design and Specifications of the Franklin Half Dollar

The Franklin Half Dollar was introduced to honor Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers. It replaced the Walking Liberty Half Dollar and was the last circulating half dollar to contain 90% silver. The series ended abruptly in 1963 to make way for the Kennedy Half Dollar in 1964, following President Kennedy’s assassination.
Weight 12.5 grams
Diameter 30.6 mm
Mint Marks D (Denver), S (San Francisco), P (Philadelphia, no mark)
Composition 90% silver, 10% copper
Obverse Design Profile of Benjamin Franklin, designed by John R. Sinnock
Reverse Design Liberty Bell, designed by John R. Sinnock
Years of Minting 1948-1963

Collectibility and Rare Varieties

The condition of Franklin Half Dollars significantly impacts their value, with Full Bell Line (FBL) specimens commanding premium prices. Proof issues, particularly from 1950-1953, are highly sought after. Some notable varieties include the 1955 ‘Bugs Bunny’ with a die clash on Franklin’s mouth, and the 1961-D ‘Doubled Die Reverse’, both of which can increase the coin’s rarity and value.
1955 2,498,181 minted; lowest mintage of the series
1949-S 3,744,000 minted; scarce in high grades
1953-S 4,148,000 minted; scarce in uncirculated condition
1948 (Philadelphia) 3,006,814 minted; key date due to low mintage

Explore Franklin Half Dollar Values by Year

1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963

Most Valuable Franklin Half Dollar

This section highlights the most valuable coins in the series, based on PCGS price guides. The table shows price ranges for each coin in various conditions.

Coin Name Circulated Price Uncirculated Price
1962 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $7.00 – $18.00 –
1963 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1961 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $7.00 – $16.00 –
1952 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $21.00 –
1954 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1951 Half Dollar (Proof) $160.00 – $255.00 –
1950 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $13.00 – $26.00 –
1960-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $13.00 – $18.00 –
1957-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1953 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $22.00 –
1963-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1955 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $14.00 – $19.00 –
1957 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1959 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1958 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $21.00 – $16,500.00
1954-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1956 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $17.00 –
1949 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $30.00 –
1948-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $14.00 – $25.00 –
1955 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $24.00 – $26.00 –
1953-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $20.00 –
1961-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1963 Half Dollar (Proof) $12.00 –
1963-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $22,500.00
1956 Half Dollar Type 2 (Proof) $14.00 – $20.00 –
1949-S Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $17.00 – $57.00 –
1956 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1958-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1948 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $2.00 – $27.00 –
1951 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $12.00 – $22.00 –
1961 Half Dollar (Proof) $11.00 – $12.00 –
1959 Half Dollar (Proof) $12.00 – $14.00 –
1948 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $30.00 – $35,000.00
1952-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $21.00 –
1962 Half Dollar (Proof) $10.00 – $12.00 –
1951-S Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $35.00 – $23,500.00
1963 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $85,000.00
1962-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $7.00 – $18.00 –
1950 Half Dollar (Proof) $235.00 – $300.00 –
1952 Half Dollar (Proof) $100.00 – $110.00 –
1958 Half Dollar (Proof) $11.00 – $14.00 –
1960 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1962 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $28.00 – $70,000.00
1951-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $32.00 –
1954-S Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1949-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $50.00 – $45,000.00
1960 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $18.00 – $36,500.00
1953 Half Dollar (Proof) $38.00 – $70.00 –
1956 Half Dollar Type 1 (Proof) $18.00 – $30.00 –
1953-S Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $28.00 –
1950-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $32.00 – $18,500.00
1961-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $22.00 – $17,500.00
1955 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $24.00 – $6,000.00
1962-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $22.00 – $15,000.00
1948-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $26.00 – $45,000.00
1953-S Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $400.00 – $60,000.00
1955 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $36.00 – $7,000.00
1954-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $15,500.00
1959-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1955 Half Dollar (Proof) $16.00 – $30.00 –
1959-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $27,500.00
1949-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $44.00 –
1951-S Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $24.00 –
1952-S Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $52.00 –
1958 Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $18.00 –
1961 Half Dollar Doubled Die Reverse (Proof) – $500.00 – $17,500.00
1952-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $26.00 – $14,000.00
1949-S Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $70.00 – $18,000.00
1953-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $25.00 – $16,500.00
1954-S Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $9,500.00
1958-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $6,500.00
1960-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $25.00 – $25,000.00
1963 Half Dollar, DCAM (Proof) – $20.00 – $5,000.00
1950-D Half Dollar (Regular Strike) $13.00 – $28.00 –
1954 Half Dollar (Proof) $17.00 – $30.00 –
1951-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $38.00 – $17,500.00
1959 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $22.00 – $25,000.00
1957 Half Dollar (Proof) $12.00 – $17.00 –
1960 Half Dollar (Proof) $10.00 – $12.00 –
1957-D Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $20.00 – $45,000.00
1950 Half Dollar, CAM (Proof) – $375.00 – $27,500.00
1955 Half Dollar, CAM (Proof) – $37.00 – $2,150.00
1962 Half Dollar, DCAM (Proof) – $20.00 – $4,500.00
1949 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $38.00 – $11,000.00
1951 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $28.00 – $7,750.00
1957-D/D Half Dollar RPM FS-501 (Regular Strike) – $22.00 – $90.00
1956 Half Dollar Type 1, DCAM (Proof) – $120.00 – $22,000.00
1948 Half Dollar DDR FS-801 (Regular Strike) $24.00 – $30.00 –
1948 Half Dollar DDR FS-801, FBL (Regular Strike) – $36.00 – $700.00
1948 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-401 (Regular Strike) $24.00 – $70.00 –
1948 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $110.00 – $3,500.00
1948-D Half Dollar DDR FS-801 (Regular Strike) $19.00 – $37.00 –
1948-D Half Dollar DDR FS-801, FBL (Regular Strike) – $48.00 – $15,000.00
1949 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $49.00 – $62.00 –
1949 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $75.00 – $550.00
1949 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-402 (Regular Strike) $20.00 – $60.00 –
1949 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-402, FBL (Regular Strike) – $70.00 – $525.00
1949-S Half Dollar, PL (Regular Strike) – $200.00
1949-S Half Dollar, FBL PL (Regular Strike) – $3,100.00
1949-S/S Half Dollar RPM FS-501 (011.3) (Regular Strike) $20.00 – $45.00 –
1949-S/S Half Dollar RPM FS-501 (011.3), FBL (Regular Strike) – $110.00 – $1,250.00
1950 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $30.00 – $30,000.00
1950 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $185.00 –
1950 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $450.00 – $1,500.00
1950 Half Dollar Booger Variety FS-402a (Regular Strike) – $100.00 – $450.00
1950-D Half Dollar RPM FS-501 (Regular Strike) $15.00 – $65.00 –
1950-D Half Dollar RPM FS-501, FBL (Regular Strike) – $80.00 – $1,650.00
1951 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $20.00 – $27.00 –
1951 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $36.00 – $475.00
1951 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-402 (Regular Strike) $110.00 – $145.00 –
1951-S Half Dollar, PL (Regular Strike) – $515.00
1951-S/S Half Dollar RPM FS-501 (Regular Strike) $16.00 – $27.00 –
1951-S/S Half Dollar RPM FS-501, FBL (Regular Strike) – $35.00 – $1,750.00
1951-S Half Dollar DDR FS-801 (Regular Strike) $28.00 – $34.00 –
1951-S Half Dollar DDR FS-801 (011.5), FBL (Regular Strike) – $50.00 – $600.00
1952 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $23.00 – $15,500.00
1952 Half Dollar Scarface FS-402 (Regular Strike) $40.00 – $190.00 –
1952 Half Dollar Scarface FS-402, FBL (Regular Strike) – $275.00 – $2,150.00
1952 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $85.00 – $190.00 –
1952 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $1,100.00 – $2,000.00
1952-D Half Dollar FS-401 Booger Variety (Regular Strike) – $50.00 – $175.00
1952-D Half Dollar FS-401 Booger Variety, FBL (Regular Strike) – $135.00 – $900.00
1952-S Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $100.00 – $10,500.00
1952-S/S Half Dollar RPM FS-501 (Regular Strike) $22.00 – $65.00 –
1953 Half Dollar, FBL (Regular Strike) – $30.00 – $5,500.00
1953 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $27.00 – $32.00 –
1953 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401, FBL (Regular Strike) – $175.00 – $1,850.00
1953 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-402 (Regular Strike) $20.00 – $35.00 –
1953 Half Dollar Obv Die Clash FS-402, FBL (Regular Strike) – $50.00 – $2,850.00
1953-D Half Dollar Bugs Bunny FS-401 (Regular Strike) $62.00 – $88.00 –

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Chris McPherson is a lifelong collector turned shop owner who opened ChrisMcPherson's Souvenir Shop in 2005. With over 20 years as a professional antique dealer and appraiser, Chris expertly curates a selection of the most unique political, pop culture, and historic collectibles available. His passion is hunting one-of-a-kind artifacts and sharing the fascinating stories behind them. Chris graduated with a BA in American History, informing his specialty in political memorabilia. As a seasoned antique hunter, Chris utilizes his skills to deliver an ever-changing inventory of must-see relics and conversation pieces to his shop.

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