Franklin & Kennedy Half Dollars

United States-proof coins have always been among my favorite coins. When I first started collecting at 10 years old, the first coin I purchased at my local coin shop was a 1962 proof Franklin half dollar. After studying my Guide Book of U.S. Coins, by R.S. Yeoman (the “Red Book”), and from conversations with local collectors who were more experienced than me, I learned that proof coins represented the finest possible quality the U.S. Mint was able to produce – the state of the art, given the technology of the day.

However, that key phrase, “the technology of the day,” is most important when understanding the difference in quality and rarity between proofs struck since the late 1970s, and proof coins struck in the mid-1970s and earlier.

It is most important to understand that the proof-making technology at the Philadelphia mint was simply not as advanced at the Mint 50 years ago as it is at the San Francisco Mint today. Most proof coins struck in that earlier era simply do not compare in quality to proof coins struck today in 2021.

But what appears most incredible (it was a “light bulb” moment for me when at a coin show in the early 1980s I saw my first Ultra Cameo proof 1962 Franklin) is that if you are fortunate, you can find a proof coin such as a proof Kennedy struck in 1971, or a proof Franklin struck in 1962 or even 1951 that rivals the eye-appeal and quality of a modern proof struck today.

As I began studying those coins and looking at literally thousands of proof coins every week in those early days, I came to the frank realization that these earlier proof Franklin and Kennedy half dollars are extremely rare and valuable, especially with exceptional cameo contrast. This COINage feature article will cover some of those miracle proof Franklin and Kennedy half dollars struck between 1950 and the mid-1970s And while I’m at it, I will cover the Mint State Franklin and Kennedy half dollars from this era as well, as they are surprisingly difficult to locate in exceptional Mint State condition.

It’s a fact that there are many Mint State Franklin and Kennedy half-dollars from this era which are rarer in high-grade MS 65 – 67 condition than many of the 1941 – 1947 Walking Liberty half-dollar issues that preceded them.

If you want the best and most beautiful coins possible for the series combined with the highest possible quality and the greatest possible rarity, the Franklin and Kennedy half-dollar series offers you extraordinary opportunities to build beautiful finest quality collections. I call it “the three legs of the stool” – owning a collection featuring:

Cameo Contrast

In order to show what cameo contrast looks like, I’ve selected two 1960 Franklin half-dollars, both certified as PF 69, which as of this writing, August 2021, is the highest grade NGC has assigned to any Franklin half-dollar.

The 1960 example on the left is a brilliant proof specimen, with no cameo contrast. The other 1960 example ranks among the first strikes from one of the highest-quality cameo die for the series. For the year 1960, only the first few dozen Franklin half dollars of this top die exhibited this level of cameo contrast before the delicate, snow-white frosted devices of the die would begin to wear smooth.

Because of the exceptional cameo contrast on both obverse and reverse, the example on the right is designated “ULTRA CAMEO” by NGC. CAMEO and ULTRA CAMEO-designated coins receive more point value in the NGC Online Coin Registry than non-cameo examples.

Look at the census numbers of ULTRA CAMEO Kennedy half dollars from an NGC population report:

The 2021-S proof Kennedy half dollars were just released, and NGC has already graded over 4,000 examples in PF69 ULTRA and PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO, compared to a mere 73 1971-S Kennedy half dollars. Incidentally, there is no proof of Franklin or proof Kennedy’s half dollars struck before 1973 that have graded PF 70 by NGC. They don’t currently exist.

About four years ago, NGC approached me with the idea of offering a propriety Franklin and Kennedy half-dollar Pedigree holder. What interested me most about the proposal is that I would have total control over which Franklin and Kennedy half dollars would be placed into this special holder. In other words, I would have the opportunity to ensure that only the finest Franklin and Kennedy half dollars for their date and grade received this special encapsulation.

Examples of these most beautiful Franklin and Kennedy half dollars in these NGC Pedigree holders are featured here, and you will see the difference.

NGC Franklin and Kennedy Half-Dollar Tomaska Pedigree Holders

First of all, the names I gave both the Franklin and Kennedy pedigree holders celebrate great themes and contributions these men made for their country in service.

Ben Franklin was one of our Founding Fathers. Hence, the “We The People” Ben Franklin Tomaska pedigree holder can be identified by those most important first three words of our constitution on the holder.

The Tomaska NGC Kennedy pedigree holder was named by me the “Aspiration” holder. In designing the holder, I wanted to highlight two important initiatives in Kennedy’s presidency that shaped it and the future of the U.S. The first initiative in Kennedy’s inaugural address was: “And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” These are words worth remembering.

A year later, at a speech at Rice University, Kennedy announced that by the end of the decade, “We shall go to the moon.” To this day, over 50 years later, the United States is the only nation to have landed men on the moon and brought them back safely.

The Franklin “WE THE PEOPLE” and Kennedy “ASPIRATION” pedigree holders offer the finest Franklin and Kennedy half dollars for the date and grade. Every Franklin and Kennedy half-dollar encapsulated in these holders has not only been reviewed by NGC but has also met my standards for eye appeal and quality for the date and grade.

Veteran collectors are aware that not all PF 65 coins are equal; not all MS 65 coins are equal; not all PF 67 coins are equal; not all MS 67 coins are equal. Some are more attractive and more solid for the grade than others. That’s a fact. Coin grading takes place on a spectrum or continuum. Some MS 67 coins are almost MS 68, while others might just qualify for the MS 67 grade.

The pedigree NGC Franklin and Kennedy holder offers me the opportunity to earmark the best coins that I know are the best from my decades of experience, having looked at literally millions of these coins and has handled most of the finest known examples from both series in that time.

I’ve written several books on Franklin and Kennedy half-dollars, assembled collections of the finest Franklin and Kennedy half-dollars, and the finest proof Morgan, Proof Barber half-dollar, and Proof Seated half-dollar collections, as well. But the response from collectors since I first began offering my pedigree service in 2019 has been passionate and enthusiastic.

Featured on the NGC website in its census report, you will find independent population numbers for these pedigreed Franklin and Kennedy half dollars. As a specialist who appreciates these coins, the best legacy I can leave the collecting community is to earmark the Franklin and Kennedy half dollars that are the most exceptional for their dates and grades.

These two 1950 Franklin half dollars, shown front or obverse only, are both graded NGC PF 67. The “generic” example in the white holder is a typical 1950 proof. Many are shallowly mirrored and often have some degree of haze due to the manner of storage. The example in the light brown holder bearing the likeness of Ben Franklin is truly superb for the date and grade. I asked NGC to encapsulate it in a “We The People” (WTP) holder because of the coin’s superior eye appeal. The coin is an early die strike, and, as such, is deeply-mirrored, and is as lovely as the day it was struck. It is truly a premium 1950 in PF 67.

The 1950 Franklin half dollar shown, obverse only, in an NGC PF 65 STAR ULTRA CAMEO, Tomaska Cameo Die 1, NGC Aspiration Pedigree holder, is considered one of the most exceptional cameos dies for the year 1950. Examples of this recognized die are also given additional Registry points in the NGC Set Registry.

Among the earliest strikes of one of the finest cameo dies for the 1957-proof Franklin half-dollar, cameo dies number 38 is pictured in Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era. This coin is also one of the few 1957 ULTRA CAMEO Franklin half dollars to also earn NGC’s STAR designation for exceptional eye appeal.

Considered one of the most exceptional cameos dies for the year 1960, this early strike is recognized by NGC as Tomaska Die 49 – correlating to Die 49. The coin was awarded the elusive NGC PF 69 ULTRA CAMEO designation. Examples of this recognized die are given additional Registry points in the NGC Set Registry. This coin is pictured in my book, Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era.

The rarest Mint State Franklin half-dollar in the series with Full Bell Lines, this near-flawless, fully brilliant, and fully struck 1953-S NGC MS 66+ Full Bell Lines example ranks as the finest I’ve handled.

Superbly toned Mint State Franklin half dollars are extremely rare. This 1958-D NGC MS 65+ STAR example is certainly among the most breathtaking for the series, which is one of the reasons it receives the NGC WTP Pedigree.

This amazing early strike 1967 Kennedy half-dollar is what’s considered one of the most spectacular cameos dies of the 1965 to 1967 Special Mint Set (SMS) Era. This cameo die can be recognized by the light frost-fade spot on Kennedy’s temple –a diagnostic of this top die. Nicknamed the “Birthmark” variety, it is cameo die 70 in my book Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era. Examples of this recognized die are given additional Registry points in the NGC Set Registry.

Among the earliest strikes of one of the finest cameo dies for the 1969-S proof Kennedy half-dollar, this example is also one of the few 1969-S ULTRA CAMEO Kennedy half-dollars to also earn NGC’s STAR designation for exceptional eye appeal.

This 1971-S Kennedy half-dollar graded NGC PF 69 ULTRA CAMEO is extremely rare as an ULTRA CAMEO. The example shown here resides in an NGC Aspiration Pedigree holder.

During the first year of issue, 1964, for the Kennedy half-dollar, over 151,000,000 Kennedy halves were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. However, in fully brilliant MS 66 condition, the 1964-P Kennedy half-dollar is extremely scarce.

This article about Franklin and Kennedy Half Dollars previously appeared in COINage magazine. To subscribe click here. Article by Rick J. Tomaska.