Add the final Franklin Half Dollar ever minted to your collection today! The Franklin Half Dollar was minted from 1948-1963 and proof versions were only minted from 1950-1963. The Franklin Half Dollar was replaced with the Kennedy Half Dollar in 1964. The 1963 Proof Franklin Half Dollar has 30x fewer coins minted than the business strike versions, but it can be had for only a few dollars more! You will receive (1) 1963 Proof Franklin Half Dollar in stunning, Choice Proof condition, meaning they will grade in 63 grade or higher! The surfaces of these coins are beyond flawless and glossy, making for a coin that you will cherish for years to come. Everyone knowns last year of issue coins are always highly sought after, so this is a must have addition to your collection!
1963 Franklin Half Dollar Proof
Complete your Franklin coinage collection with this 1963 Franklin half dollar proof. The 1963 version is the last year of the Franklin 50 cent series with its first strike in 1948. Proofs were only minted between 1950 and 1963 at the Philadelphia mint and notably, bears no mintmark. The Franklins are popular as they are one of the last full series to be made with 90% silver. The series was cut short when U.S. President John F. Kennedy was killed and the Kennedy half dollar was rushed through to replace it.
History
The Ben Franklin half dollar series was the first to include a portrait of a real figure, which was previously based on a metaphorical figure representing Liberty. U.S. Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross wanted the founding father Benjamin Franklin on a coin and asked John R. Sinnock, to start designs. These were largely based on an earlier medal crafted by Sinnock, and the work of Jean-Antoine Houdon and John Frederick Lewis. Sinnock passed away before completing the design and it was finished by Gilroy Roberts. While it also received some backlash for its reverse features, including the very small eagle and the visible crack in the Liberty Bell, the Mint struck the Franklin each year until 1963.
Design specifics
The coin features Franklin's left profile on the obverse and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia on the reverse with the eagle sitting to the right of the bell. The text "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" appear above and below Franklin, respectively, and the Latin phrase "E pluribus unum," which means "Out of many, one," the nation's motto, is to the bell's left.
1963 proof Franklin half dollar value and mintage
The 1963 Benjamin Franklin half dollar proof has a mintage of 3,075,645 and has previously sold for around $5,500 at auction.
