1949 S 50C Franklin Silver Half Dollar NGC MS66+ Uncirculated Coin #171

Product Description

A 1949 San Francisco Struck (S) Franklin silver half dollar graded Mint State 66+ (MS-66+) by NGC. This piece displays an original luster blanketed in a dark grey/golden tone on the obverse, grey/golden tone on the reverse and excellent visible details. The total mintage for this date & mint: 3,744,000. Please view our photos for additional information and ask any questions prior to purchase.

The Franklin Half Dollar was a silver half dollar designed by John R. Sinnock, and was minted from 1948-1963. Although the design was met with little enthusiasm, it was approved in 1948, and minting began later that year. The obverse featured the profiled bust of Benjamin Franklin with the date appearing to the right. ‘LIBERTY’ is stamped above Franklin’s profile while ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’ appears below the bust. The reverse of the Franklin half dollar was designed years earlier for the commemorative 1926 Sesquicentennial half dollar, and in 1948 the design was modified to fit the Franklin half dollar. The modified reverse features the Liberty Bell depicting the infamous crack. Due to earlier legislation that required an eagle to be depicted on all half dollars, a small eagle was placed to the right of the Liberty bell. Almost immediately the reverse met heavy criticism. Many were displeased with the visible crack showing in the Liberty Bell because it visibility displayed its flaw on a coin. The small eagle on the reverse was another reason for complaints, as it depicted the bald eagle in an unmajestic fashion. Through all of the criticism, the Franklin half dollar was minted for fifteen years until the tragic assassination of the 35th President of the United States John F. Kennedy in 1963. The following year, the half dollars design was changed to Kennedy’s bust facing left on the obverse, while the reverse featured a larger eagle than the previous Franklin design. Parameters set for the Franklin half dollar were as follows: .900 silver, 100 copper composition, a net weight of .36169 pure silver, total weight of 12.5 grams and featured a 30.6 mm diameter with a reeded edge.