U.S. Franklin Silver Half Dollar (1961-1963) // NGC Certified PF66 // Wood Presentation Box

The Franklin Half Dollar is a vintage American coin minted from 1948 to 1963. Today, they are seldom seen in circulation but are cherished by coin collectors and enthusiasts of American history alike.

In 1947, U.S. Mint director Nellie Tayloe Ross, the first woman to hold that position, instructed Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock to prepare designs for a Franklin half dollar. She had always deeply admired Franklin, who himself was known to oppose portraits on coins, like many of the Founding Fathers. Sinnock based his designs on a Franklin medal he had created previously but died before he could fully adapt these designs to the new half dollar, which required completion by his successor, Gilroy Roberts.

The obverse features a bust of Franklin, while the reverse shows a large rendition of the Liberty Bell and a smaller depiction of an eagle. The eagle was included to satisfy an old law requiring it to appear on all U.S. silver coins. The Franklin half dollar was released to the public at noon on April 30th, 1948, the anniversary of George Washington’s 1789 presidential inauguration. Production continued for 15 years, until it was replaced abruptly by the Kennedy half dollar. This coin was swiftly introduced following the President’s assassination on November 22nd, 1963 and signed into law on December 30th of that year, marking the early end of the Franklin half dollar series.

Offered here is a superb proof specimen struck exclusively for collectors and independently certified by the Numismatic Guarantee Corporation (NGC). Each coin is housed in a hermetically-sealed NGC certification holder with unique serial number and presented in a luxurious, plush-lined wood box with embossed metallic gold lettering, piano-black finish, and certificate of authenticity. The coin is unconditionally guaranteed to be genuine, dated between 1961 and 1963, graded Proof-66 out of 70 on the official coin grading scale, and will match the exceptional quality of the one shown.