Franklin Halves-101

NumisEd · January 23, 2003 1:05AM

Okay, you guys and gals know that I like pre-1838 US coins and I have been known to state the fact that I do not like modern coins, especially Kennedy halves, Ike dollars and Franlin Halves. Over the past few weeks, I have started to develop an interest in modern coins. Actually, I have owned modern US coins for the past 20 years, but I rarely give them the time of day....they just sit and rot away in shoe boxes. Based on the discussions regarding moderns on this forum, I am now taking a closer look at things like mercury dimes, Jefferson nickels, etc. Thanks.....I think.

With that out of the way, I would like to respectfully ask for your help regarding the Franklin half series. I received a call from my uncle a few days ago. He heard that I was a coin collector and informed me that he has some old coins that he wants to sell. One of the items is a Franklin half collection that he purchased about 15 years ago. All coins were identified as MS-65 by the dealer who sold my uncle the collection. He claims that he paid $200 for the set.

He has asked for my help in 1) grading the set, and 2) selling the coins. I travel to shows occassionally and I have relationships with many dealers via internet and phone. I am just afraid of missing something when I sell this set to a dealer. I see some Franklins going for CRAZY money lately. Here are some questions for you Franklin half specialists:

1) What should I look for when grading the set?
2) What are the key dates, in terms of condition?
3) What dates are common with FBL and which dates are rare with FBL?
4) Is there a premium for 50% bell lines?
5) Which dates/mints are well struck and which ones are weakly struck?
6) Any other questions that I am forgetting to ask?

Thanks in advance to all you modern coin collectors!!!! Ed

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 1:23AM

When examining Frankies, let the 1st thing that hits you be eye appeal. Does the coin look mint fresh? Then I would look at the fields for dings, chatter, bag marks. I would then focus on the high points of the coin, on the obverse look at Franklins cheek area. Also his shoulder area, look for signs of rub which may indicate a circulated coin. Also to the right of his ear look for three wisps of hair, this detail shows up on sharply struck coins as well as nice lines in Frankies hair as found in the 48 and 49 Frankies. Some years do not have these details due to weak strike and this is usually not held against them when grading. In general, as the series continued the master die got poorer and poorer, so as you progress through the 50s you'll notice the strike characteristics detoriating. Compare a 48 to a 59 and you'll see the detail that has been lost. In 60 the Master die was re-worked and alot of this detail was brought back, however they didn't due such a good job on the reverse concerning the bell lines. Any 60's Frankie p or d mint with Full Bell Lines is a nice find, and a fantastic find in a 5 as these coins suffered from bag marks galore and most will be ms64's.

The San Franciso mints also had obverse die striking quality issues with the 53 being the worse. A 53s in FBL is the holy grail to Franklin collectors. This to me is the key date, also the 49s and 49d are considered keys. The 51s and 52s and 54s are very tough in ms65 FBL. These would be a nice find that will command a strong premium. Here is a 48d that I bought raw that made FBL at PCGs:

PCGs focus's on the lower bell lines. Notice they are full and non interupted with the exception of the crack in the bell. The 53s and most San Francisco Frankies for that matter have a terrible weakness to the left of the crack which cause them not to get this designation. Though some tiny bagmarks can be present and not hurt the designation. NCG requires all 7 Bell lines to be full, the above picture probably would not qualify.

In general a ms64 has bag marks in the obverse and reverse, some hits on Frankies head and the bell, in a 5 very few are found. Some of my 5's should be 6's. In a 6, maybe one or two hits on the entire coin are found with absolutely no rub what-so-ever on Frankies high points. the few 7's I have seen were flawless to my eyes. Most ms66's come from original mint sets and are toned anywhere from very attractive to black road tar ugly! This is due to the sulfur in the cardboard reacting with the coins surface and growing a protective oxide layer we comonly call toning... The halves you have probably have some type of album toning.... Hope this helps...

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 1:30AM

Notice the detail in Frankies head, you can see lines in his hair, This example I bought raw and due to the hits I have it going a 4.

Notice that the 58 lacks the detail of the 48 in Frankies head due to master die wear. I also bought this 58 raw and I'm
hoping it sneaks into a 6, it is a surefire ms65!

NumisEd · January 23, 2003 1:34AM

Holy smokes! Nobody else need reply to my questions, I think that Lucy covered everything. Thank you very much. I shall print your response and make it my official reference on Franklin Halves!!

Also, I promise to post some images once I pick-up the collection.

DanC · January 23, 2003 1:39AM

Very nice tutorial Lucy!

Thank you!

CharlieB · January 23, 2003 1:41AM

<< When examining Frankies, let the 1st thing that hits you be eye appeal. Does the coin look mint fresh? ... Hope this helps... >>

Very nice synopsis on Franklins. Thanks. I am printing a copy
of this myself as a quick reference. I submitted some a few
weeks ago and a few more this week that I hand picked. We'll
see how well I do.

tjkillian · January 23, 2003 1:42AM

You're right! That was by far the best information on ANY coin I've seen. Let's do that for every single coin of Federal (and Confederate) coinage!

Lucy, that is extremely excellent, my hat's off to you, thank you!

Tom

greghansen · January 23, 2003 1:43AM

The following is a ranking (from most rare to least rare) for all Franklin's in MS65FBL. Those coins listed together are about equal in rarity to one another.

1953-S

1949-D, 1952-S, 1953-P, 1960-D, 1961-P, 1961-D, 1962-P & 1962-D

1950-D, 1951-S

1951-D, 1952-D, 1953-D, 1954-S, 1960-P, 1963-P

1949-S, 1950-P, 1951-P, 1954-P, 1959-P, 1959-D, 1963-D

1948-D, 1949-P, 1952-P, 1954-D

1948-P, 1955-P, 1956-P, 1957-P, 1958-P

1957-D, 1958-D

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 1:50AM

Strike Characteristics by year.

1948p - Most are fully struck and is easy to find in FBL.
1948d - same as above.
1949p - at least 50% are fully struck with FBL.
1949d - same as the 48d.
1949s - usually found with a poor or soft strike, very diffulcult to locate in FBL, most will be toned.
1950p - superior quality date but strike a bit soft in the bell lines, but not a diffulcult date to locate in FBL.
1950d - often well struck with FBL.
1951p - Semi scarce in ms65 FBL. Softer struck.
1951d - Well struck with FBL. Among the sharpest struck dates in the Franklin series.
1951s - Scarce in FBL due to soft strike. softness found in the three wisps of hair to the right of Frankies ear.
1952p - Overall well struck but somewhat tough in GEM grades with FBL.
1952d - Very boldly struck and often found with FBL.
1952s - Extremely scarce in Gem FBL. Soft strike again, very tough date.
1953p - Extremely scarce in GEM FBL due to soft strike.
1953d - Fully Struck and 50% will be FBL.
1953s - Extremely rare in FBL!!!! very poorly struck coin with little detail in the high points of the devices. the Holy Grail in FBL!!

the reverse of my sharply struck 49s ms66fbl Frankie, a Ultra GEM!

KAJ1 · January 23, 2003 2:06AM

Wow !

Great job Lucy !!!!!!

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 2:07AM

Strike Characteristics by year.

1954p - Well struck date but softly struck in the bell lines, tough date in GEM FBL.
1954d - Very well struck and easily found in FBL.
1954s - Very elusive in ms65 FBL. Suffers also from strike weakness.
1955p - Average struck coin that is very scarce in ms65 brilliant FBL, most will be toned.
1956p - Ranks among the poorer struck Philly coins, this date almost as scarce as the 55 in a ms65 FBL.
1957p - Similar to the 56p.
1957d - Well struck and easily found in FBL.
1958p - Most Gem grades will be toned in FBL, Extremely scarce in brilliant.
1958d - same as 57d.
1959p - Among the poorest struck P mints in FBL. Tough find in a ms65.
1959d - Strike is bold however poor due to the master die condition. Easily found in FBL.
1960p - One of the best struck P mint coins, but tough in a 5 with FBL.
1960d - Generally well struck but due to the re-worked master dies being weak in the bell lines only the boldest struck coins will
be FBL.
1961p - Bodly Struck GEMS in FBL are extremely rare and command a high premium.
1961d - Nice strikem bell lines are not as bold as the earlier Frankies again due to the new master dies, easier to find in FBL then the P mint.
1962p - Very tough in GEM FBL grade, I am looking for one for my Registry set.
1962d - Among the best of the later Franklins with a solid strike and bold FBL.
1963p - Very tough in GEM FBL.
1963d - Only the boldest strikes will have FBL.

Hopefully some of this info will shed some light on how hard and scarce some of the FBL Franklins can be. Some may have a mintage of 4-5 million, however, only 100 or so in a ms65 or higher are known to exists.

Clankeye · January 23, 2003 2:11AM

Lucy, you never fail to amaze. Rick Tomaska can take a seat in the back of the room now.

Clankeye

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 2:13AM

My very sharply hammered 50p! The coin is a ms65 FBL that I think has a outside shot at a upgrade. Coin looks fabulous
in person!

JMOORE · January 23, 2003 2:14AM

Do you think Lucy Loves Frankies????

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 2:54AM

I bought this coin 49p raw and I need to submit it. It is a sharply struck FBL GEM that I grade as a MS66. The Bell Lines in this
Gem would pass NGC's criteria as all 7 Lines are very bold and well struck!

Merc · January 23, 2003 4:21AM

Hi Lucy,

I've kept quiet on the Franklins, but I am also working on full set in MS65. I like your 1950-P and the 1949-S, but that last one is ugly. It has the strike of the 1948-P. Is that what it is? The toning is way too dark and it hides all of the luster. Still, I have seen several darkly toned ones receiving high grades. I like for them to be brilliant or have nice rim toning. Here is one of mine that's just so-so.

1953-D FBL

presleyh · January 23, 2003 4:55AM

Lucy, have you tried scrubbing those with a little pine sol and cleanser? I think you could shine em up to look almost good as new.

You've come a long way baby since you came on here.
Great job on the tutorial! I think I just learned something about
Franklins.

CarlWohlforth · January 23, 2003 4:59AM

Thanks for the info Lucy!

I just took another look at my '56 mint set and the purple Franklin reverse appears to be better than I thought

Judging by Lucy's info this might be a 66 as there are so few marks. The 4'th of the top 4 lines is not complete, but the rest of them are. I can read "Pass and Stow". So not sure if it is FBL.

DanC · January 23, 2003 5:00AM

<< a little pine sol and cleanser >>

I like to use my Dremel tool @ 15,000 rpm with a wire brush, then finish up with jeweler's rouge.

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 5:10AM

<< I like your 1950-P and the 1949-S, but that last one is ugly. >>

I am not a fan of it either. I already have this in a ms66 FBL. However, I got this coin very cheap and couldn't pass it up! I am always searchin' for raw GEM Frankies! I also want to point out that there is absolutely nothing worng with collecting ms65 or ms66 non FBL Franklins. In fact there are many wonderful deals on these GEMS! I have many that are not FBL but are still beautiful coins. The FBL's for the most part represent the sharpest and strongest strikes, as was intended by the mint designers. I do choose to seek out these type
of coins..... A FBL registry set can be done rather in-expensively in ms64, with the exception of the 53s, and the majority of these coins will be brilliant and shiny. Great values are found in the ms64 grade!

braddick · January 23, 2003 6:45AM

Lucy- Thanks not only for the information but for your keen ability to display your passion for this series.

MrKelso · January 23, 2003 10:06AM

Very well done Lucy Thanks for the Great Info you have provided.

ClausUrch · January 23, 2003 10:27AM

LOOOOOCY...

Look who's on the move

Frankies

LucyBop · January 23, 2003 10:31AM

Way to go Daddy-o! Be Bop A Lula!

oldcameoproofsguy · January 23, 2003 10:37AM

Lucy,

I'm glad to finally see some photos of some of your Frankies. I really like your 49-S and 50-P.

I have a brilliant 50-P in MS66FBL but I think that I like the look of yours better.

mbbiker · January 23, 2003 11:49AM

Very good thread i've learned alot about the Franklin Half

Gilbert · January 24, 2003 3:18AM

Show-off!

zenny · January 24, 2003 10:06AM

ttt

for any who missed miss Lucy's concise and quite brilliant summary of mint state Franklins, she did what Rick T. did, in about 100 less pages.

way to go Lucy

z

dwood · January 24, 2003 1:17PM

Oh my God...

This morning I officially added Jeffs to my collection. Now it looks like Lucy is going to get me drooling over yet another fat, dead guy

Great info Lucy....thanks for sharing.

Man this board is "tha bomb"

LucyBop · January 24, 2003 1:19PM

<< yet another fat, dead guy >>

What about Balding? You left out Bald!!!!

dpoole · January 24, 2003 1:25PM

Lucy,

That is a terrific, concise summary. Everybody should print out the thread for reference.

I know everybody else has been saying the same things, but I wanted you to know how much I personally enjoy your presence here.

FC57Coins · January 24, 2003 2:11PM

Ya done good Lucille! Keep this up and the value of our Frankies will double in no time!

LucyBop · January 26, 2003 8:25AM

ttt

Cowbilly · January 26, 2003 8:45AM

Thanks for the BTT, you summed it all up very well and on the money!

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 9:43AM

ttt

More info pn Frankies for all....

MrKelso · February 7, 2003 10:09AM

BOOP BOOP BE DOOP.

dwood · February 7, 2003 1:12PM

AWESOME thread. Thanks Lucy, and all...

Now...one more request...

Lucy mentioned "3 wisps of hair, near the ear."

Can someone point these out to me? And is this a pretty good focal point for quickly judging the strike of those years when the detail was still evident?

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 1:16PM

The three wisps of hair are to the right of Frankies ear.... as the dies detoriated, this detail was lost... It is most noticable in the late 40s and early 50s Frankies.... I have some later date ms66fbl's where this detail is gone.... If you go back to the 1st page on this post, you can kinda see the wisps of hair on the 48 Frankie....

robertpr · February 7, 2003 1:26PM

Lucy, you never fail to amaze. Rick Tomaska can take a seat in the back of the room now.
Actually, it looks like Lucy just gave a synopsis of all the major points in his book including the date by date.

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 1:26PM

Here is a closeup of the wisps of hair. Now understand, I am not saying to stay away from coins that are lacking this detail, as on some issues its absence may be strike in others it may be wear, but if you find Frankies with this detail, thats a very good sign...

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 1:28PM

<< Actually, it looks like Lucy just gave a synopsis of all the major points in his book including the date by date. >>

Rick is still grounded to the back of the room because he beat me to the punch on a pr69 1959 Frankie!

robertpr · February 7, 2003 1:36PM

Rick's book is an excellent addition to anyone's numismatic collection and is well worth the small amount of money it will cost to add to your library, even though everyone now has it for free courtesy of this thread and without even acknowledgement or credit by the poster of the information. I however, will make this my last post on the topic.

Buy Rick's book

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 1:40PM

Oh Phooey on you! Ricks book is great and has helped me learn and will help others. I don't have the new one though..... The year by year stuff was taken from my notes that I use at coinshows which I did gather the info I needed from the book. Everything else came from what I know.

MAULUMALL · February 8, 2003 2:55AM

Lucy,what you got on proofs..........................

Cuzh · February 8, 2003 4:24AM

Holy schmoly! I think my Frankie IQ has just been raised 20 points!!! THANK YOU LUCY!!!

Cuzh

wallstreetman · February 8, 2003 6:06AM

Hey Lucy, Great response! How would you rate yourself, WELL STRUCK FULL BELLE? Maybe a little SALON WORK(ARTIFICIAL TONING)

oreville · November 22, 2004 4:00PM

A great thread. Learning from the masters!

toners · November 23, 2004 6:51AM

Great thread, go lucy
Allen

DominusDeus · November 23, 2004 7:18AM

I don't care for Franklin halves very much (ugly imho), so I've only got one (that isn't in the greatest of shape). I've only seen ONE Franklin that I LOVED, and it was a toned one that Lucy posted here, that has a bright orange ring around the front with a bright yellow filling the ring (if I remember right). I still wouldn't mind having a few more (and maybe a proof or two) for the sake of having more than just 1 Franklin half.

LeeG · November 23, 2004 7:39AM

Awesome Job in every way shape and form. I got my printed copy! This should be in a "Help" File for all. More on that later. Thanks Again, Lee

XpipedreamR · November 23, 2004 7:42AM

Very interesting! I saved this one

Franklin Halves-101

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