Over our many years of dealing in rare coins, we have noticed that the 1954-S Franklin Half Dollars was always one of our best sellers. There are a few reasons behind that. First, the 1954-S Franklin Half Dollar is the last Franklin to be minted at the San Francisco Mint. No other Franklins bare the "S" Mintmark after this coin. Second, only 4,993,400 of them were minted. This is not a large number considering some Franklins have mintages over 60,000,000! These 1954-S Franklin Half Dollars are in blast white, choice uncirculated condition. What a coin!
Highlights:
- Struck in San Francisco
- Low mintage
- Choice Uncirculated
1954-S Franklin Half Dollar
Add the 1954-S Franklin half dollar coin, minted in San Francisco to your Franklin collection. The Franklin series is a popular collectible because of its high silver content. The series was minted between 1948 and 1963 before its run was cut short by the untimely death of late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, which prompted the minting of the Kennedy half dollar.
History
The U.S. Mint had long-wanted a depiction of Benjamin Franklin on a coin and in 1947, Mint director Nellie Tayloe Ross tasked chief engraver John R. Sinnock with designing the 50 cent piece, but he passed away before finishing. Gilroy Roberts completed the work but there were a series of controversies that followed, particularly regarding the coin's reverse. The Commission of Fine Arts admonished the barely discernible small eagle as well as the visible crack in the Liberty Bell. The inclusion of Sinnock's initials "JRS" also caused contention as some thought it was a tribute to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The Mint nonetheless struck the Franklin half regularly until 1963.
Design specifics
The portrait of Franklin on the obverse is a side profile cut off at the shoulder. The reverse's rendering of the Liberty Bell has a small mintmark "S" just above to denote the San Francisco Mint. It is a 90% silver and 10% copper coin with reeded edges and is 30mm in diameter.
1954-S Franklin half dollar value and mintage
The year 1954 is considered one of the franklin half dollar key dates because it is the year a proof was minted in Philadelphia. The San Francisco coin enjoys a 4,993,400 mintage, which is more than the proof version, but less than other regular strikes that year. It is valued, in a certified mint state, at just under $30, although uncirculated and gem conditions are rarer and have sold for $4,800.
