1953-D Franklin Half Dollar
Acquire a piece of history with this 1953-D Benjamin Franklin half dollar. The Franklin half dollar was minted from 1948 to 1963 and features designs that broke with tradition, based on the work of John R. Sinnock. It's the first half-dollar, and one of the first few U.S. coins to feature a portrait. The reverse also did not conform entirely to regulations that an eagle feature on all coins valued more than a dime. The Franklin series is also popular as it is the last half dollar series to contain 90% silver every year it was struck. Finding a well-defined coin from 1953 is challenging as so many were weakly embossed. All three mints produced the Franklin half in 1953, the "D" indicates this coin was minted in Denver.
History
The Franklin half dollar series came after the Walking Liberty half dollar and before the Kennedy series. Sinnock started preparing the designs before he passed away in 1947 and Gilroy Roberts completed them. Some controversy followed its release, including around the inclusion of Sinnock's initials "JRS," as some misconstrued them as a tribute to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. It was the same complaint that arose after Sinnock's previous work on the Roosevelt dime when his initials "JS" were used.
Design specifics
A portrait of Benjamin Franklin is featured on the obverse of the coin and a picture of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is on the reverse. A diminutive eagle can be seen to the right of the bell. A mint mark "D" appears just above the bell yoke on the reverse.
1953-D Franklin half dollar value and mintage
The year 1953 is one of the Franklin half dollar key dates as there were many minted that year that did not come out strong. A depiction of the bell with full bell lines is, therefore, sought after and can be valuable. The 1953-D Franklin half dollar mintage is 20,900,400. In superb gem condition, it has fetched $17,250.
