Franklin Half Dollar Often Overlooked

Above, some of the Franklin half dollars in my collection. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last year, when I had a locksmith open a strongbox that had been sitting in my closet for years, among the contents were a bunch of Franklin silver half dollars. 

I still remember when the Franklins were common in pocket change. 

There is one in particular, the 1960 Franklin, that has prompted an article in Numismatic News. Unfortunately, although the ones I have date back from the 1940s to 1963 (before it was replaced by the Kennedy half dollar in 1964), none were from 1960. 

Still, the article is interesting.

It begins with:

If potential sleeper coins to be listed, the 1960 Franklin half dollar might be overlooked because it is so much a sleeper that even people looking for under-priced coins would likely miss it.

The 1960 half suffers in terms of recognition from a host of problems. First, it is indeed simply one of the Franklin halves that are more or less routinely overlooked. It is not old by numismatic standards. First produced in 1948, it was discontinued after 1963 in favor of the Kennedy half dollar before it had lasted even 25 years. By modern standards, it is a short-lived coin.

Basically, the Franklin half is considered common. It was produced when there were perhaps more truly active coin collectors than at any other time in American history. Franklin half dollars were readily available at virtually any bank for those collectors who wanted them. Few did because there were many more interesting and potentially more valuable options available.

 To read more, go here.