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1957-D Franklin Half Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated - BU

1957-D Franklin Half Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated - BU

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1957-D Franklin Half Dollar

Add another year to your Franklin collection with this 1957-D Franklin half dollar. The Franklin series was minted between 1948 and 1963 at all three mints – Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. It follows the Walking Liberty half dollar series and precedes the Kennedy half dollar, which replaced the Franklin in commemoration of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy who was killed in 1964. This coin was minted in Denver.

History

The U.S. Mint had regarded the depiction of Benjamin Franklin on a coin prior to 1948, but those plans were shelved due to increased pressure on the Mint during the war. In 1947, Nellie Tayloe Ross, the Mint's Director, tasked her chief engraver, John R. Sinnock, with preparing designs. The work was based in part on his earlier work, which also took inspiration from other artistry, including a bust of Franklin made by Jean-Antoine Houdon. The reverse of the coin, which features the rendering of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, is based on sketches by John Frederick Lewis who was later given partial credit for the work. Gilroy Roberts completed Sinnock's work when he passed away.

Design specifics

The coin features Franklin with his left side on display on the obverse. The Liberty Bell is central on the coin's reverse with a small eagle to its right, said to be included to fulfill a statutory requirement. A small "D" can be seen above the bell's yoke. The coin is one of the last few to be made with 90% silver and is 10% copper with reeded edges.

1957-D Franklin half dollar value and mintage

The 1957-D Franklin half dollar has a mintage of 19,966,850. In a certified mint state, it can value more than its bullion worth at just under $20 and it has been auctioned for almost $5,000 in the past, in a superb gem condition.

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