1948-D Franklin Half Dollar PCGS MS-65 FBL

The Franklin Half Dollar ran for only 15 years, and 1948 opened the series. This Denver strike comes from that debut year, when the Liberty Bell design replaced the Walking Liberty type that collectors had known since 1916. Most Franklin halves went straight into circulation and picked up bag marks on the way, so gem survivors with complete bell lines form a much smaller group than the mintage suggests.

John R. Sinnock modeled the obverse portrait of Benjamin Franklin after a bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon, and the profile shows sharp relief in the hair and coat. LIBERTY arches above, with IN GOD WE TRUST below and the date to the right of the bust. The reverse centers on the Liberty Bell, complete with its famous crack and the yoke above, while a small eagle stands at the right and E PLURIBUS UNUM sits at the left. The D mintmark rests above the bell yoke, and the horizontal lines across the bottom of the bell are struck full and unbroken.

PCGS graded this half dollar MS-65 FBL, the Full Bell Lines designation reserved for coins with a complete lower set of bell lines. Warm russet and pale blue toning covers both sides over original mint luster, and the surfaces are free of distracting marks for the grade. The combination of gem condition, full strike detail, and undisturbed original color gives this piece strong eye appeal that many technically graded examples lack. For those seeking a first-year Franklin with a full strike and honest surfaces, this coin delivers. The coin pictured is the exact coin you will receive.

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