Numismatic

1955 Franklin Half Dollar AU

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The 1955 Franklin half dollar is a classic piece of mid-twentieth-century American coinage. Struck in 0.900 fine silver, this coin contains 0.3575 troy ounces of precious metal. It represents a brief era in United States numismatic history when the nation's currency honored one of its most famous founding fathers rather than a president. On the obverse side, a right-facing profile of Benjamin Franklin takes center stage. This portrait, created by designer John R. Sinnock, is accompanied by the inscriptions "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST", alongside the 1955 date. The design captures Franklin's likeness with a clean, dignified simplicity that was a departure from earlier, more ornate coin designs. The reverse of the coin is dedicated to the historic Liberty Bell, complete with its famous crack. To the right of the bell, a small eagle with spread wings is visible, a detail added to fulfill legal requirements for the denomination. The reverse inscriptions clearly display the United States of America as the issuing nation, the traditional Latin motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM", and the half dollar face value.