1954 Franklin Half Dollar Proof
Increase the value of your Franklin half dollar collection with this 1954 Franklin half dollar proof. The proof Ben Franklin Half Dollars were minted between 1950 and 1963 at the Philadelphia mint and they bear no mintmark. The Franklin series is popular for its 90% silver content, great aesthetic, and generally low premiums. Even though it is not the most expensive numismatic collectible, some Franklin dates and versions are valued more than average, including this 1954 proof, as fewer were produced and preserved in their pristine condition.
History
The Benjamin Franklin Half Dollar series started minting two years before the proofs in 1948. The U.S. Mint Director asked Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock to prepare the designs although Mint officials had contemplated the depiction of Benjamin Franklin on a U.S. coin since 1941, but the war placed significant pressure on minting services and plans were stalled. Still, Sinnock had designs in anticipation of a future Franklin coin. The Ben Franklin half dollar series was also short-lived due to the untimely death of late U.S. President John F. Kennedy and a Kennedy half dollar was quickly prepared for circulation in 1964, the usual 25-year term curtailed through Congressional action.
Design specifics
The portrait of Franklin appears on the obverse of the coin as a side profile, cut off at the shoulder and his hair flowing behind him. The text "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" is embossed above and below his rendering. The reverse features the Liberty Bell and small eagle with the Latin phrase "E pluribus unum," which means "Out of many, one," the nation's motto. The coin is 30mm in diameter and has reeded edges.
1954 proof Franklin half dollar value and mintage
A stunning 1954 Franklin half dollar proof can be found for around $100. Its low 233,300 mintage has earned it up to $4,113 at auction previously.
