Proof Franklin Half Dollar 1953

The Proof Franklin Half Dollars were minted two years short than the ones for circulation. The Philadelphia Mint was the only mint to produce the Proof Franklins, since they were making the Proof Sets at the time. These highly numismatic proof half dollars contain a mirror-like shine and very low mintages, compared to the extreme production of the BU coins. Only 128,800 coins were minted in 1953, lending to their limited availability and high premium. The Proof Franklin Half Dollars are not for beginner collectors but those who are willing to invest in such high commodities.

The Franklin Half Dollar had a difficult time being approved by the Commission of Fine Arts. The Commission of Fine Arts didn't approve of the Liberty bell's crack being pictured, on the reverse of the Franklin half dollar, in fear of it being ridiculed by the public. Although the design was not approved, the US Mint still minted it as the new design. The controversial design reveals a side portrait of Benjamin Franklin, with the coin's date of mintage next to it. The reverse depicts the famous Liberty Bell, with its crack down the middle, and also contains the coin's legal monetary denomination. Due to the Mint Act, passed when the first mint in the US was established, the US Mint was required to detail the coin's legal tender value on the actual coin. The Franklin Half Dollar has a special place in the Philadelphia Mint's heart, since the pictures on the actual coin are native to the original capital of the US.

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• Year: 1953
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