1963-D Franklin Half Dollar
Snag the final year mint of the Franklin half dollar, which bears an image of the head of one of the founding fathers of America, Benjamin Franklin. It was struck from 90% silver ensuring that these coins hold a decent numismatic value.
History of the 1963 Franklin Half Dollar
In 1947, the then mint director, Miss Nellie Tayloe Ross, deeply admired Benjamin Franklin and wanted to have a depiction of him on a coin. She instructed the mint's chief engraver, John Sinnock, to begin work on such a coin using a bust of Benjamin Franklin for inspiration. Unfortunately, John Sinnock passed away before completing his design, and the final work was done by his successor, Gilroy Roberts. The coin attracted a measure of controversy on release as Mr. Sinnock's initials appeared next to Franklin's shoulder. His initials were JRS and many people thought this was attribute to Joseph Stalin. The mint quickly released a statement explaining the initials and the controversy was no longer an issue by the time that the 1963 mint was released. The coin was replaced in 1964 by the Kennedy half dollar.
Design Specifics
The obverse side of the coin depicts Benjamin Franklin facing to the right. On the reverse of the coin is a depiction of the Liberty bell with a diminutive eagle in full flight on the right of the bell. Each 50 cent piece has a reeded edge, weighs 12.5g, is 1.55mm thick, and is 30.68mm wide.
1963 Franklin Half Dollar Value and Mintage
The 1963 release of the Franklin Half Dollar had the highest mintage of the series with 67,069,292 coins minted. The coins were minted in the Denver and each one has a "D" strike mint mark. Additional coins were minted in San Francisco and Philadelphia. The intrinsic value of each of the 1963 Franklin half dollar is more than their face value due to the varying price of silver and the age of the coin. One of these coins in perfect condition that is mint state graded could reach over a hundred dollars at auction.
