1/2 Dollar 'Franklin Half Dollar'

The Franklin Half Dollar came into existence largely through the force of will of Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross, who pushed the design through despite resistance from Congress — existing law required a deceased president on the half dollar, but Franklin was neither a president nor recently deceased, requiring a specific legislative exemption. The series ran only until Kennedy's assassination made a replacement politically irresistible.

Collectors working this series focus heavily on the bell lines — full, uninterrupted horizontal lines across the Liberty Bell's lower register indicate a sharply struck die and are genuinely scarce on Philadelphia issues from the early 1950s.