nineteen fifties

the proof franklin half dollar was produced from nineteen fifty to nineteen sixty three. keep reading below to learn more of the proof franklin half dollar story...

for proof coin collectors nineteen fifty was a great year, as the u.s. mint resumed production of proof sets. this year is the lowest mintage of all, with the even scarcer satin proof finish on the earliest issues only. nineteen fifty proof franklins also have an exciting die variety, a quadruple die reverse! This is most evident in the date and liberty. the well-struck coins in this series were made sequentially over a period of fourteen years.

in the early nineteen fifties the mint rationed the number of proof sets sold; this coin is the second-lowest issue of the franklin proof series. the franklin half dollar was designed by john r. sinnock at the request of nellie t. ross, director of the mint. with the obverse similar to his franklin medal of nineteen thirty three, and liberty bell reverse, sinnock completed the models for this coin only a few weeks before his death in may of nineteen forty seven. these beautiful coins are made of an alloy of ninety percent silver and ten percent copper.

these fine proof coins are another quality product of the u.s. mint. check yours for "cameo" frosting on ben and the liberty bell; these coins are highly valued! In the early nineteen fifties the cold war was causing problems even at the mint. suspicious minds thought john sinnock's initials, jrs (on obverse at truncation of bust), stood for joseph stalin, current leader of the ussr. stalin's middle initial was "v", but the mint still had to issue an official statement naming john r. sinnock as the coin's designer and debunking any communist connection.

proof franklin half dollars contain .36169 troy ounces of pure silver, and are 30.6 millimeters in diameter, this size unchanged since eighteen thirty nine. the coin honors benjamin franklin, one of the fathers of our country. franklin was a scientist, author, diplomat, statesman, and inventor; he also is credited with the design of the seventeen eighty seven fugio coppers, one of the earliest federal coinage issues. one of the legends on this coin "mind your business", should be taken literally, as the original meaning was: pay attention to your business (livelihood, trade, job, etc.), and that attention will reward you.

this year's proof sets (and early nineteen fifty five) were the last to be sold in small pasteboard boxes, the coins inside in individual plastic bags. chief engraver of the mint, john r. sinnock, developed a design concept featuring benjamin franklin for a silver half dime in nineteen forty two. This coin never went further, but franklin halves are an adaptation of the half dime design. the portrait of franklin is from a carved marble bust by jean-antoine houdon; ben is wearing a suit of the period. nineteen fifty four features a popular die variety: doubled die obverse most visible in "fifty four" and "ust" of trust.

this was a transition year for proof set packaging at the mint; no more little boxes, as the plastic "flat pack" made its debut. the small eagle on the coin's reverse has a very interesting story: it was an afterthought, as the entire design of the reverse had already been chosen when someone at the mint pointed out that the mint act of eighteen thirty seven specifies that a half dollar must have an eagle as part of its reverse design, hence the small eagle to the right of the liberty bell. look closely at the length of the eagle's legs; this bird must have some stork relatives! there are many anatomically incorrect eagles on u.s. coins - these make a fascinating study on their own.

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proof half dollars of this year offer two different types and two exciting die varieties as well. type one coins (approx. five percent of all proofs) show four of the eagle's wing feathers to the left of the perch; type two's (ninety five percent) feature a high relief eagle with only three feathers to the left of the perch. the first die variety is a doubled die obverse with the date and "we trust" showing doubling. the second is a doubled die reverse, this showing most clearly in "e pluribus unum" and the liberty bell's clapper. take a close look at all your proof franklins - maybe the next newly-discovered die variety is just waiting to be found!

this year and later are all type two (high relief eagle) reverse - refer to nineteen fifty six listing for diagnostic differences. a tripled die reverse, most visible on "e pluribus unum", "united states of america", and "half dollar" gives this year a fun die variety; the tripling is very close. the liberty bell on the reverse is a true icon of early united states history: almost four feet in base diameter and weighing over a ton, it is made of an alloy of copper and tin and was first cast in seventeen fifty two. the large crevice visible on the bell is not "the" crack, but rather repair work to stabilize the bell's harmonics.

the mint apparently was trying to be frugal this year, as some of the business strikes (coins intended for circulation) were done with retired proof dies. length of die life has always been a concern at the mint, due to the amount of skilled labor involved in producing a properly hardened and long - lasting die. did you know that the liberty bell actually has the word "liberty" as part of its inscription? It is part of a verse from the book of leviticus (XXV-X):"...proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" that is cast around the top of the bell.

franklin half dollars would not be as we know them today if the federal fine arts commission had their way. In a letter to nellie t. ross (director of the mint) dated december first, nineteen forty seven, chairman gilmore clarke wrote: "...hesitate to approve the liberty bell as shown with the crack in the bell visible; to show this might lead to puns and statements derogatory to u.s. coinage." it is possible that, due to john sinnock's recent death (may of nineteen forty seven), the commission's ideas were rejected by the mint to honor his memory. opinions of the commission did not have force of law.