1955 Franklin Half Dollar Value Guide

Are you looking for a new coin to be added to your collection? If yes, then you need to consider the 1955 half dollar. It is an old coin that is made of silver. Finding a rare 1955 50-cent coin should make your collection even more valuable and completed.

If you wish to learn more, you need to continue reading.

What Is the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar Made Of?

The 1955 Franklin half dollar is 90% silver and 10% copper. This is the composition of the Franklin half dollar in all the years it has been minted.

As a 50 cent coin with silver composition, the 1955 half dollar has a mass of 12.50 grams, a diameter of 30.61 millimeters, and thickness of 1.8 millimeters.

When it comes to the obverse design, the Franklin dollar features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin facing to the right. Inscriptions include the following:

• Liberty – one of the most cherished values of the American people
• In God We Trust – the American motto that shows the Judeo-Christian roots of the Americans
• 1963 – the year of minting

For the reverse design, you will find the following:

• Liberty Bell – a symbol of freedom and liberty
• Eagle – represents the strength and resilience of the country
• United States of America – arches above the coin
• Half dollar – arches at the bottom of the coin
• E Pluribus Unum – Latin for out of many, one — shows the desire of the State to stay united

1955 Franklin Half Dollar Varieties

In 1955, the only mint center that produced half dollars was the Philadelphia Mint. The Denver Mint didn’t produce any half dollar since there’s no demand for the coin. The San Francisco Mint closed in 1955 and will only re-open in 1965.

With this in mind, there are only two varieties of the 1955 Franklin half dollar. Here’s a table to show you their mintage:

The Franklin 50-cent is one of the most short-lived half dollar types. It was only struck for 19 years, from 1946 to 1963. It was then replaced by the Kennedy half dollar.

As this might be the case, the 1955 Franklin half dollar should still interest you. The reason is that the 1955 half-dollar was designed by two of the legendary coin designers of the United States — John Sinnock and Gilroy Roberts.

Continue reading below to know more details about each of these varieties.

1955 P Franklin Half Dollar

The Philadelphia Mint is the only mint center that produced 1955 Franklin half dollar. Due to a low demand plus the high mintage in 1954, Denver Mint didn’t see the need to produce new half dollar coins.

The extreme low demand is evident in the mintage figure of the Philadelphia Mint. You can see that there are only about 2.4 million half dollar coins. This is extremely low considering that the coins are meant for circulation.

Surprisingly, 1955 half-dollars are plentiful in Gem condition. You should easily find them in grades up to MS 66. While yes, they might have good grades, but they are still poorly struck and Full Bell Lines designated coins are rare.

1955 Proof Franklin Half Dollar

Aside from regular coins, the Philadelphia Mint also produced 1955 Franklin proof half dollars. There were only 378,200 proof coins. This shows the low demand for these examples.

Nevertheless, the low mintage made this coin somewhat scarce. With low supply, the demand would increase and with increased demand, the price also increases.

Thus, if you have a 1955 Franklin proof 50-cent, it can be sold for a few hundred dollars.

List Of 1955 Franklin Half Dollar Errors

Historically, the higher the mintage, the more chance an error coin would happen. Since only about 3 million half dollar coins were made, there are only a few 1955 Franklin half dollar coins made with errors.

Here are some examples that you need to know:

Die clash

The die clash leads to an error that is commonly referred to as Bugs Bunny Franklins. The reason for this is that the die clash error caused the upper lip of Benjamin to have a “buck teeth.”

Here’s how it looks like:

Die clash happens when the dies hit each other because the planchet was absent at the moment of strike. As a result, some details from the reverse die were transferred to the obverse die.

Clipped planchet error

The clipped planchet error happens during the cutting of the blank coin. Metal sheets are introduced to the feeder. The problem is sometimes, the feeder is misaligned. The cutting blade would hit the previous space of the coin that is already cut. So, the next cut has a clipped space.

Doubled die

The doubled die error happens when the die hits the planchet twice. In most cases, the doubled die error isn’t obvious because the second strike hits the same angle of the coin. The problem is when the second strike hits at a different angle.

The Mint center doesn’t like to have errors such as the doubled die error. However, a lot of coin collectors value this error coin. The more prominent the doubled die error, the higher the price.

How Much Is 1955 Franklin Half Dollar Worth Today?

The 1955 Franklin half dollar has a face value of 50 cents. Since this is made of silver, the melt value is higher, which reaches up to $7.9537. The melt value can even go up in the following years as the market value of silver goes up as well. The value of circulated coins is even higher. According to the NGC, prices start at $8.75 and $19.50.

You would also be more impressed when you see the auction records of these coins. Check out this table:

This table doesn’t include the price of error coins. Some error coins can also be so valuable especially when they are rare and unique.

How Does The Grading System Work?

The 1955 Franklin half dollar coin is graded in the same way as other US coins are graded. This means that just like other coins, the 1955 half dollar coin is graded based on its appearance, attractiveness, color, luster, quality of strike, and of course, level of preservation.

If you wish to get your 1955 Franklin half dollar graded, you can get in touch with NGC, ANACS, PCGS, and IGC. The coin grading service industry is quite competitive. This is a good thing for customers since each provider would try their best to gain bigger market share and give the best grading services.

Professional numismatists joined together in the 1970s and established CoinGrading standards. These numismatists now assign grades at key places on the seventy-point scale, using the most regularly utilized numeric points in conjunction with the original adjective grade. The following are the most common coin grades:

1. 1. • (P-1) Poor – Indistinguishable and probably damaged; if used, must have a date and mintmark; otherwise, rather battered.
      • (FR-2) Fair – Nearly smooth, but without the damage that a coin graded Poor often possesses. The coin must have enough detail to be identified.
      • (G-4) Fair – Inscriptions have merged into the rims in some areas, and important elements have been mostly erased.
      • (VG-8) Very Good- A little weathered, but all of the primary design elements are visible, albeit faintly. There is little if any, central detail left.
      • (F-12) Good – The item is very worn, yet the wear is even, and the overall design details stand out clearly. Rims are almost completely isolated from the field.
      • (VF-20) Very Fine – Moderately weathered, with some finer features still visible. The motto or all letters of LIBERTY are readable. Both sides of the coin have entire rims that are separated from the field.
      • (EF-40) Extremely Fine – Gently used; all gadgets are visible, and the most important ones are bold. The finer details are bold and clear, however, light wear may be seen.
      • (AU-50) Uncirculated – Slight evidence of wear on the coin’s design’s high points; may have contact marks; eye appeal should be adequate.
      • (AU-58) Uncirculated Choice – Slight traces of wear, no severe contact marks, almost full mint shine, and great eye appeal.
      • (MS-60) Mint State Basal – Strictly uncirculated; no indication of wear on the coin’s highest points, but an unsightly coin with reduced luster, visible contact marks, hairlines, and other flaws.
      • (MS-63) Mint State Acceptable – Uncirculated, but with contact scratches and nicks, little reduced shine, but otherwise appealing appearance. The strike is weak to average.
      • (MS-65) Mint State Choice – Uncirculated with great mint shine, very little contact blemishes, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is unusually severe.
      • (MS-68) Mint State Premium Quality – Uncirculated with superb luster, no obvious contact marks to the naked eye, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is quick and appealing.
      • (MS-69) Almost Perfect Mint State – Uncirculated with perfect brilliance, a sharp and appealing strike, and extremely good eye appeal. A near-perfect coin with minor imperfections in the planchet, strike, and contact markings (seen only under 8x magnification).
      • (MS-70) Mint State Perfect – Under 8x magnification, there are no tiny imperfections discernible; the strike is crisp, and the coin is perfectly centered on a beautiful planchet. Rarely seen on a coin, this coin is bright and whole, with original luster and exceptional eye appeal.

Where To Buy Or Sell 1955 Franklin Half Dollar?

The 1955 Franklin half dollar is available online and in brick-and-mortar stores. Here are a few of the places where you can go:

• Coin shops – coin shops are popular destinations of coin collectors. They can both buy your coin or sell you their coins. What’s great about coin shops is that you are able to physically see and touch the coin. They are also reputable, which means that you are working with a legitimate vendor. Similar shops would include pawn shops and antique stores.
• Auction houses – the most popular auction houses that feature rare and beautiful coins are Heritage Houses and Stack’s Bowers.
• Online marketplaces – you can visit Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Social media websites may also serve as a place to buy and sell. For example, Facebook Marketplace is a great way to find 1955 Franklin half dollars.

FAQs

Where is the mint mark on a 1955 half dollar?

The 1955 half dollar doesn’t have a mint mark because the only mint center that produced the half dollar coin in 1955 is the Philadelphia Mint. Traditionally, the Philadelphia Mint doesn’t add mint marks on the coins they produce. However, normally, Franklin half dollar coins place the mint mark at the top of the Liberty bell.

Why is the 1955 Franklin Half Dollar called the Bugs Bunny?

There are 1955 Franklin half dollar coins that are called the “Bugs Bunny Franklins.” These coins developed the die clash error, which manifested itself as a distorted figure on the lips of Franklin, making Ben look like he had buck teeth.