1962-D Franklin Half Dollar
Acquire a late-year version of this American coin with this 1962-D Franklin half dollar. The Franklin series was minted between 1947 and 1968 at all three mints – the "D," visible in a mintmark, denotes the coin's mintage in Denver. The Franklin series is popular for its 90% silver content but its term was cut short when late U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the commemorative Kennedy half dollar took its place.
History
The Ben Franklin half was the first to carry the depiction of an actual person, until then U.S. coins depicted allegorical Liberty figures, and Benjamin Franklin himself disliked the idea of an actual person's portrait on American coinage. Natalie Tayloe Ross, the U.S. Mint Director, championed the idea of the Franklin half dollar, however, and reasoned Franklin wouldn't disapprove as his objection was of the inclusion of royalty and Franklin was a republican. The Mint's chief engraver John R. Sinclair started preparing designs before his passing in 1947, which was continued by Gilroy Roberts. The artwork is inspired by Sinclair's early work as well as that of Jean-Antoine Houdon and John Frederick Lewis. Various controversies followed the final design, including the inclusion of Sinclair's initials "JRS" on the obverse, which led some to construe them as Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's initials.
Design specifics
The coin features a portrait of Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse. There is a small eagle to the right of the bell, as a nod to federal regulations requiring an eagle appear on U.S. currency valued more than a dime. The mintmark is visible above the yoke of the bell and the year is embossed on the obverse next to Franklin.
1962-D Franklin half dollar value and mintage
Over 35 million of the 1962-D Franklin half dollar were minted. In good condition, they are valued under $20 but auctions have yielded almost $3,000 previously.
