Proof Franklin Half Dollar 1963

The Proof Franklin Half Dollars are highly sought after by experienced collectors for a few appealing reasons. The first being its highest mintage is still much lower than the average mintage of a BU Franklin Half. Since the Philadelphia Mint was the only mint to produce these numismatic gems, they made sure to keep the mintage modest, so they wouldn't have a ton of leftovers. What resulted was a rare series with beautifully pristine mirror-like finishes and 90% silver that appeals to even the pickiest investor. The 1963 Proof Franklin Half Dollar was the final year for the Franklin Half Dollars, before they would be replaced by the Kennedy half Dollar.

Right before the Franklin Half Dollar was minted, the Mint Director at the time, Nellie Tayloe Ross, long since admired Benjamin Franklin, so when it was time to replace the Walking Liberty, she knew which design would be next. Ross approached the Mint Engraver, John R. Sinnock, and asked him to design a portrait of Franklin for the new half dollar. Sinnock used past designs of his to get the new half dollar underway but would not see the end result. Sinnock died before the completion of the Franklin Half Dollar, leaving it up to his successor, Gilroy Roberts, to finish the job. Once the final design was finished, the Mint Director took it to the Commission of Fine Arts to get it approved. 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.

• Denomination: N/A
• Year: 1963
• Diameter: N/A
• Mint Mark: N/A
• Thickness: N/A
• Grade: Ungraded