1950 Franklin Half Dollar

The decade of the 1950s started out with more than 15 million Franklin half dollars being minted by the Philadelphia and Denver mints, representing a definite increase over the production figures from the two previous years of the series. 1950 was also the year that the United States Mint began striking proof coins again – the first time since 1942.

The 1943 through 1949 proof coin hiatus at the United States Mint was due to World War II, during which the mint focused solely on striking billions of coins for commerce and to produce special medals for individuals who had served in the military.

Here’s a breakdown of mintage figures and values of 1950 Franklin half dollars:

• 1950, 7,742,123 minted; $11

• 1950 proof, 51,386; $550

• 1950-D, 8,031,600; $11

*Values are for coins in Very Fine-20 grade, unless otherwise stated.

1950 business-strike Franklin half dollars are highly common, with only high-end uncirculated specimens ranking as scarce. Expect to pay between $40 and $60 for Mint State-63 examples and upwards of $150 to $200 for any 1950 Franklins in the Mint State-64 or -65 range.

The 1950 proof Franklin half dollar is fairly easy to find in a coin dealer’s case, but many specimens are cloudy or spotted. If acquiring a high-end 1950 proof half dollar is your goal, prepare to spend a bit of time searching around for crisp-looking pieces.