The dates to check first
These are the lowest-mintage Franklin halves struck for circulation. If you're sorting a jar or an inherited collection, pull these dates out before anything else and check the mint mark carefully.
- 1955 Franklin Half Dollar: 2,498,181 made. Some 1955 Franklins show a die clash nicknamed the "Bugs Bunny" variety for the buck-teeth-like marks at Franklin's mouth.
- 1953 Franklin Half Dollar: 2,668,120 made.
- 1948 Franklin Half Dollar: 3,006,814 made.
- 1949-S Franklin Half Dollar: 3,744,000 made.
- 1948-D Franklin Half Dollar: 4,028,600 made.
- 1956 Franklin Half Dollar: 4,032,000 made.
Every franklin half dollar by date and mint
Click any date for its full page: how many were made, the mint mark location, varieties and what to check. Mint marks matter: the same year can be common from one mint and scarce from another.
| Date and mint | Mintage | Value band | Also look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948-D | 4,028,600 | Metal value | |
| 1948 | 3,006,814 | Collector premium | |
| 1949-D | 4,120,600 | Metal value | |
| 1949 | 5,614,000 | Metal value | |
| 1949-S | 3,744,000 | Metal value | |
| 1950-D | 8,031,600 | Metal value | |
| 1950 | 7,742,123 | Metal value | |
| 1951-D | 9,475,200 | Metal value | |
| 1951 | 16,802,102 | Metal value | |
| 1951-S | 13,696,000 | Metal value | |
| 1952-D | 25,395,600 | Metal value | |
| 1952 | 21,192,093 | Metal value | |
| 1952-S | 5,526,000 | Metal value | |
| 1953-D | 20,900,400 | Metal value | |
| 1953 | 2,668,120 | Collector premium | |
| 1953-S | 4,148,000 | Metal value | |
| 1954-D | 25,445,580 | Metal value | |
| 1954 | 13,188,202 | Metal value | |
| 1954-S | 4,993,400 | Metal value | |
| 1955 | 2,498,181 | Significant rarity | 1955 "Bugs Bunny"; Some 1955 Franklins show a die clash nicknamed the "Bugs Bunny" variety for the buck-teeth-like marks at Franklin's mouth |
| 1956 | 4,032,000 | Metal value | |
| 1957-D | 19,966,850 | Metal value | |
| 1957 | 5,114,000 | Metal value | |
| 1958-D | 23,962,412 | Metal value | |
| 1958 | 4,042,000 | Metal value | |
| 1959-D | 13,053,750 | Metal value | |
| 1959 | 6,200,000 | Metal value | |
| 1960-D | 18,215,812 | Metal value | |
| 1960 | 6,024,000 | Metal value | |
| 1961-D | 20,276,442 | Metal value | |
| 1961 | 8,290,000 | Metal value | |
| 1962-D | 35,473,281 | Metal value | |
| 1962 | 9,714,000 | Metal value | |
| 1963-D | 67,069,292 | Metal value | |
| 1963 | 22,164,000 | Metal value |
The series in 4 stages
Sinnock's Franklin and the first sets (1948 to 1950)
The Franklin half dollar replaced the Walking Liberty in 1948. John R. Sinnock prepared the design before his death in 1947 and Gilroy Roberts completed it. The reverse shows the Liberty Bell with a small eagle to its right, added to meet the legal requirement for an eagle on the larger silver coins.
San Francisco coins and the 1955 Bugs Bunny (1951 to 1955)
Output rose sharply from 1951, with Denver passing 25 million in 1952 and 1954. San Francisco struck halves every year through 1954. Those S coins are often weakly struck, so full bell line examples are rare. The 1953 Philadelphia issue is low at 2,796,920. Proof sales climbed every year of the period.
Philadelphia and Denver only (1956 to 1959)
From 1956 only Philadelphia and Denver made Franklin halves. Denver skipped 1956 entirely. The 1956 Philadelphia coin (4,701,384) and the 1958 Philadelphia coin (4,917,652) are the low mintages of the period, while Denver struck from about 13 to 24 million a year from 1957.
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.
Decade by decade
Where to find the mint mark
- 1948 to 1963: On the reverse, above the Liberty Bell's beam. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
Identifying and grading Franklin halves
The lower bell lines are the key: Full Bell Lines coins sell for several times the price of ordinary ones.
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.
What the value bands mean
- Face value: worth its face in worn condition; only uncirculated coins and varieties carry a premium.
- Metal value: worth its silver content in worn condition.
- Small premium: sells for a little over face or metal value even when worn.
- Collector premium: scarcer than usual, so worn coins sell well above face or metal value.
- Significant rarity: a key date, valuable in any condition and often faked.
Bands describe a coin in ordinary circulated condition. An uncirculated coin with full original luster sits a band or more higher. Recognized varieties can be worth far more than the date itself.
Frequently asked questions
Which Franklin halves are worth the most?
By mintage, the scarcest circulation issues are the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar (2,498,181), 1953 Franklin Half Dollar (2,668,120), 1948 Franklin Half Dollar (3,006,814). Varieties and top-grade coins of common dates can also be valuable.
Are Franklin halves silver?
Yes. Every franklin half dollar in this chart is 90% silver, 10% copper.
Why does this chart show bands instead of prices?
Prices change with the market and with each coin's grade, so any printed price goes out of date. A value band tells you which coins are worth a closer look; for a current price, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Mintages: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records.