Coin values · 90% silver · 1948–1963
Franklin half dollar value: silver melt value today
Every Franklin half dollar (1948–1963) is 90% silver, so each coin is worth at least the 0.3617 troy oz of silver inside it. Most circulated Franklins trade close to that melt value; low-mintage dates and sharply struck coins with full bell lines are worth more to collectors. At the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver), one coin’s 0.3617 oz of silver was worth $18.00.
Franklin half dollar specifications
| Years struck | 1948–1963 |
|---|---|
| Designer | John R. Sinnock (finished by Gilroy Roberts after Sinnock died in 1947) |
| Mints | Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D), San Francisco (S) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.50 g |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm, reeded edge |
| Silver content (ASW) | 0.3617 troy oz |
| Face value | 50 cents |
| Melt value | $18.00 at the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver); live value above |
Weights, fineness and mintages come from the primary records listed under Sources; melt is computed from the gold or silver content.
Franklin half dollar melt calculator
Melt = pure metal content × recent spot (silver $49.78/oz). This is the bullion floor; collectible coins can be worth far more. Federal rules restrict melting only 1¢ and 5¢ coins (31 CFR Part 82; 1942–1945 silver war nickels are exempt). This estimates intrinsic value.
What a Franklin half dollar’s silver has been worth since 1968
A Franklin half dollar held about $0.71 of silver in 1968, peaked near $37.32 in 2026, and its metal is worth $18.00 today. That is melt only; a scarce date or high grade can carry a collector premium on top.
Franklin half dollar melt value by decade
Melt of one coin at each decade’s December close. The peak month was Jan 2026 at $37.32; the low was Oct 1971 at $0.47. Melt has been above the $0.50 face value in 703 of 707 months since 1968, and is now about 36 times face.
| Close | Silver price | Melt per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1970 | $1.63 | $0.59 |
| Dec 1980 | $15.50 | $5.61 |
| Dec 1990 | $4.19 | $1.52 |
| Dec 2000 | $4.58 | $1.65 |
| Dec 2010 | $30.63 | $11.08 |
| Dec 2020 | $26.49 | $9.58 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | $49.78 | $18.00 |
Prices: LBMA benchmark history, then Bullion Trading LLC 5 pm ET spot closes (monthly observations).
About the Franklin half dollar
Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross wanted Benjamin Franklin on a circulating coin, and Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock had already modelled his portrait. The design replaced the Walking Liberty half in 1948. The reverse shows the Liberty Bell, crack included, with a small eagle beside it because the law required an eagle on the half dollar.
The series lasted only 16 years: Congress replaced it with the Kennedy half in early 1964, a few weeks after President Kennedy’s death.
To find the mintmark, look on the reverse above the Liberty Bell’s beam. A D or S means Denver or San Francisco; no letter means Philadelphia.
Key dates and mintages
- 1955: 2,498,181 business strikes, the lowest mintage of the series. Many show a die clash collectors call the “Bugs Bunny” variety.
- 1953: 2,668,120 business strikes at Philadelphia.
- 1949-S: 3,744,000 struck, a low San Francisco mintage; the first-year 1948 had 3,006,814.
- Full Bell Lines (FBL): grading services mark coins whose lower bell lines are complete. FBL coins of some dates sell far above melt.
When is a Franklin half dollar worth more than melt?
Common-date circulated Franklins trade at or near melt. Uncirculated coins, proofs (struck 1950–1963) and Full Bell Lines examples carry premiums that depend on grade; we do not publish collector prices.