Augment your coin collection with this desirable coin from a low mintage year. The 1952 Franklin half dollar proof features the head of the founding father Benjamin Franklin this iconic coin retains a good numismatic value.
The History of the 1952 Franklin Half Dollar Proof
Just over 800,000 Franklin half dollar proofs were minted at the Philadelphia mint. The coins were originally intended to be designed by chief engraver John R. Sinnock although Sinnock died before completing the work. His successor Gilroy Roberts completed the design. Roberts' design was met with criticism from the Commission of Fine Arts, however, the Mint decided to continue with the production of the coin in spite of this.
About the Design
The coin features Franklin on the obverse with the words "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" along with the year. The reverse depicts the Liberty Bell, including the crack at its lower end. Showing the crack in the bell was a controversial decision at the time and the coin attracted a lot of interest in the collectibles community upon its release.
This proof features no mint mark. Coins created at the Philadelphia mint did not include a mint mark until 1980. Proof coins are struck twice and carefully treated to bring extra clarity to the design.
Proof Franklin Half Dollar Value and Mintage
The proof Franklin half dollars were minted from 1950 to 1963 at the Philadelphia mint. Production of the coin was limited in its first few years, due to the glut of Walking Liberty Half Dollars available at the time. The 1952 proof Franklin half dollar is 90% silver.
The relative rarity of the 1952 Franklin half dollar proof, especially if the coin was kept in good condition, means its numismatic value is typically far higher than the intrinsic value of the silver.
