1961-D Franklin Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 20,276,442 made
- Mintage
- 20,276,442
- 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-D 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-D Franklin Half Dollar rare?
- Not by date: 20 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1961-D 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. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1961 are scarcer?
- The 1959-D at 13,053,750, the 1960-D at 18,215,812, the 1957-D at 19,966,850. So the 1961-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1961-D Franklin Half Dollar coins were made?
- 20,276,442.
What to check on your 1961-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1961 (8.3 million made).
- 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-D
Denver made 20,276,442 in 1961, up from 18 million in 1960. In 1962 the figure was 35 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1961 (8.3 million).
Across Denver's 14 Franklin Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1948-D with 4,028,600 made. The 1961-D is one of the easier ones. Within the 1960s it's 5th smallest of 8, between the 1960-D (18 million) and the 1963 (22 million).
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 | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 20,276,442 |
| 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.