Franklin Half Dollars: The Underrated Silver Registry Set

The Franklin Half Dollar is a series that never seems to shout for attention. It doesn’t need to. It was struck from 1948 through 1963, and it lives in an odd space between two much louder coins. The Walking Liberty Half Dollar before it and the Kennedy Half Dollar after it, and because of that, Franklins often get labeled as plain or forgettable. I’ve never agreed with that. In fact, if I had to pick one series to sit with for the long haul, this would be it.

The Franklin Half Dollar came out of a post-World War II America that many might say valued stability more than flourish. For the first time on a circulating half dollar, Miss Liberty was replaced by an historical person: American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. The design, created by John R. Sinnock, is straightforward and restrained. Franklin’s portrait isn’t romanticized or heroic. It’s calm. Serious. Very much of its time. The reverse centers on the Liberty Bell, with a small eagle added to meet legal requirements. That eagle gets criticized a lot. I’ve always liked it. It doesn’t glide or pose. It stands there, chest out, wings tight, looking like it’s flexing. It feels stubborn in a good way.

From a silver standpoint, the series is as honest as they come. Every Franklin Half Dollar is struck in 90% silver, with the same actual silver weight as earlier half dollars. There’s no chasing fineness changes or exceptions. Thirty-five regular-issue coins across the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints make up the entire circulation series. No hidden gaps. No impossible dates.

Franklins tend to be overlooked because they don’t lean on dramatic design shifts. The coin you buy from 1948 looks very much like the one from 1963. For some collectors, that’s boring. For others, especially those who care about technical quality, it’s the whole point. This is a series where strike quality matters more than artwork, and nowhere is that clearer than with Full Bell Lines. The horizontal lines at the base of the Liberty Bell are notoriously weak on many coins. Finding examples where those lines are fully separated isn’t automatic, even in Mint State. Two coins with the same grade can look completely different once you flip them over, that's what keeps things interesting for me.

There are a few dates that require more patience: The 1949-S, the 1953-S, and the 1955. These dates stand out especially when considering strike quality. San Francisco issues in particular can be frustrating. Still, none of them are true roadblocks. And that’s one reason why the series works so well in a PCGS Registry Set. It gives structure without pressure. You can build a circulated set, move into Mint State, chase Full Bell Lines on a few favorites, or just stop when it feels complete.

That’s really the appeal. The Franklin Half Dollar rewards collectors who like finishing things. It doesn’t demand speculation or luck. It asks for attention, patience, and consistency. Every coin feels solid in the hand. The silver is real. The challenges are fair, and that eagle on the back still looks like it’s holding its ground.