What one Franklin half is worth in silver
One Franklin half contains 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver, from a coin weighing 12.5 grams at 900 parts per thousand. At the current benchmark that metal is worth $23.09. The benchmark behind it was set on , and every figure on this page moves with it.
| How many | Face value | Pure silver | Melt value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.50 | 0.3617 ozt | $23.09 |
| 10 | $5.00 | 3.6170 ozt | $230.91 |
| 20 | $10.00 | 7.2339 ozt | $461.81 |
| 50 | $25.00 | 18.08 ozt | $1,154 |
| 100 | $50.00 | 36.17 ozt | $2,309 |
What the coin is
The Franklin half was struck from 1948 to 1963 at 12.5 grams, 90% silver, holding 0.36170 troy ounces of pure silver. It is the same specification as the Walking Liberty half before it and the 1964 Kennedy half that ended the run, so a mixed bag of pre-1965 halves needs no sorting by type to price.
John R. Sinnock designed it, reusing the Liberty Bell reverse from his 1926 Sesquicentennial commemorative. The small eagle beside the bell is there only because law required an eagle on coins above the dime, and its awkward size has been a talking point since the day the coin appeared.
The series ran just sixteen years and was cut short by the decision to put Kennedy on the half dollar after the assassination. That short run is why collecting a complete set of thirty five coins is a realistic project, and why demand for the better strikes is stronger than the mintages alone would suggest.
Is it worth more than its metal?
There is no key date in the ordinary sense. The 1949-S and 1953 have the lowest mintages and carry modest premiums, but no Franklin half is scarce enough that a circulated example is worth much over its metal.
Full Bell Lines is where the money is. On a fully struck coin the horizontal lines across the bottom of the Liberty Bell are complete and unbroken, and most coins came out of the dies with them soft or missing. A certified uncirculated Franklin with Full Bell Lines can be worth many multiples of the same coin without the designation, and on scarcer dates the gap runs into thousands.
The 1955 Bugs Bunny variety, where a die clash left marks resembling buck teeth on Franklin’s face, is a recognised and popular variety with a real premium. It is the one thing worth checking a 1955 coin for.
Selling it
Circulated Franklins sell as junk silver by face value, mixed freely with Walking Liberty and 1964 Kennedy halves. There is nothing to gain from sorting them by date if they are worn.
Uncirculated coins are a different transaction entirely. If a Franklin still has full mint lustre and no wear on the high points, have it looked at for Full Bell Lines before it goes anywhere near a bullion buyer. That single designation is the difference between a coin worth its silver and a coin worth several hundred dollars.
Melt, resale and appraisal value sets out why those three numbers differ for the same object, and how we calculate shows every constant used on this page.
Franklin half questions
How much silver is in a Franklin half dollar?
0.36170 troy ounces, from 12.5 grams at 90% fineness. It is identical to the Walking Liberty half and the 1964 Kennedy half, so all three can be priced and sold together.
Are Franklin half dollars rare?
No date in the series is genuinely scarce. The 1949-S and 1953 have the lowest mintages and carry small premiums. Value in this series comes from strike quality and grade rather than from rarity.
What are Full Bell Lines worth?
A great deal on uncirculated coins. The horizontal lines at the base of the Liberty Bell are complete only on fully struck examples, and a certified Full Bell Lines coin can be worth many times the same date without it.
Why was the Franklin half discontinued?
It was replaced in 1964 by the Kennedy half dollar following the assassination, which cut the series off after just sixteen years. That short run is part of why complete sets are popular with collectors.