Half Dollar · 1948–1963

Franklin Half Dollar

A right-facing bust of Benjamin Franklin with LIBERTY above and IN GOD WE TRUST below. The Liberty Bell with its famous crack, flanked by a small eagle on the right.

Designer

John R. Sinnock

Diameter

30.6 mm

Edge

Reeded

Mint mark

Reverse (back), centered above the wooden beam of the Liberty Bell

Composition

1948–1963: 90% silver, 10% copper · 12.5 g Silver

Did you know? Franklin famously disliked eagles, but federal law required one on the half dollar — so the Mint added the tiniest eagle it could get away with, off to the side of the bell.

Beginner tip: On uncirculated coins, check the horizontal lines around the bottom of the Liberty Bell: if both sets run fully across without interruption, the coin has 'Full Bell Lines' and can be worth several times a normal example.

Key dates to look for

1948 Franklin Half

$12+ in circulated grades

First-year issue, always in demand

1949-S Franklin Half

$25+ circulated, $60+ uncirculated

Semi-key with a low mintage and strong collector demand

1953 Franklin Half

$15+ in circulated grades

Low mintage of about 2.7 million business strikes

1955 Franklin Half

$15+ in any collectible grade

Lowest business-strike mintage of the series at about 2.5 million

Valuable varieties & errors

1955 'Bugs Bunny' Die Clash

scarce

$20 – $300+

The obverse and reverse dies smashed together without a coin between them, transferring part of the eagle's wing feathers onto Franklin's face. The clash marks across his mouth look like buck teeth, earning the nickname. It happened in other years too, but 1955 is by far the most famous.

How to check: Look closely at Franklin's lips with a loupe. On the Bugs Bunny variety you'll see raised lines running through his mouth area that look like two protruding front teeth. They are raised marks (from the die), not scratches cut into the coin.

1961 Proof Doubled Die Reverse

extreme

$1,500 – $15,000+

A small number of 1961 proof halves were struck from a reverse die with dramatic doubling — one of the strongest doubled dies on any modern U.S. coin. It appears only on mirror-finish proof coins sold in Mint sets, not on pocket-change strikes.

How to check: Only check mirror-like proof coins. Examine E PLURIBUS UNUM and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the back: the famous variety shows bold, fully separated doubling on the letters that is obvious even at low magnification.

Error types found on this series

Die Clash

The dies slammed together with no coin between them, imprinting each side's design faintly onto the other.

Doubled Die (Reverse)

Same as a doubled die obverse, but the doubling appears on the back of the coin.

Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)

The mint mark was punched into the die more than once, slightly off position, leaving a doubled letter.

Die Crack

A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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