The Benjamin Franklin half dollar is a series that may ring your bell. Produced from 1948 through 1963, the Franklin half dollar features the Liberty Bell on the reverse.

U.S. Mint Chief Sculptor-Engraver John R. Sinnock's design on the reverse of the Franklin half dollar is also unusual. Although it complies with laws that dictate an eagle must appear on the coin, the small eagle to the side of the Liberty Bell almost appears to be an afterthought. (Sinnock also designed the obverse.)

The obverse of the Franklin half dollar was based on a bust modeled from the original Jean-Antoine Houdon bust sculptured from life when Franklin was ambassador to France.

The Commission of Fine Arts rejected the obverse and reverse designs for the Franklin half dollar. However, Treasury officials chose to ignore the commission's recommendation for a design competition and approved both designs.

One of the commission's concerns was that derogatory remarks might be made about the prominent crack depicted on the Liberty Bell. This proved to be unfounded. However, Sinnock's JRS initials appearing on the truncation of Franklin on the obverse were later rumored to stand for Joseph Stalin, the premier of the Soviet Union.

The eagle appearing to be flexing its muscles to the right of the Liberty Bell on the reverse is a focal point for many of the varieties of the Franklin half dollar. There are both high relief and low relief eagle varieties of some dates, as well as variations in the number of feathers depicted on the eagle.

Another variety of interest is the 1955 "Bugs Bunny" coin on which Franklin has the appearance of buck teeth due to clashed die marks.

The mintage figures range from about 2.7 million to about 67 million for the Franklin half dollar series. This was substantial for the series at the time the coins were struck. However, due to melting of many of the coins for their silver content, some of the dates are now scarcer than their mintages indicate.

Based on mintage figures, the key dates in the series are 1948, 1949-S, 1953 and 1955 coins. The most common coin, based on mintage figures, should be the 1963-D half dollar.

Proof versions were struck for Mint sets between 1950 and 1963. The lowest Proof set mintage is 1950. The highest mintage in Proof is for the 1962 coin.

Cameo finish Proofs appear in some sets. These are early strikes with frosted devices. Such strikes bring a premium value above the price of typical Proof strikes.

The Mint mark D for the Denver Mint and S for the San Francisco Mint appears above the Liberty Bell on the reverse of Franklin half dollar coins.

There is no Mint mark for coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint.

Uncirculated pieces are usually collected by "bell lines." Fully struck bell lines appearing near the bottom of the Liberty Bell on the reverse are desired and bring a premium value higher than Uncirculated specimens without full bell lines.

In his book The Franklin Half Dollar Collector/Investor Guide, Lyman L. Allen describes full bell lines: "When the Franklin half is encountered fully struck it will exhibit the three wisps of hair as mentioned, and two sets of horizontal parallel lines near the bottom of the bell on the reverse. These two sets of parallel lines are composed of three raised (four incuse) lines in the upper set, and two raised lines (three incuse) at the bottom. ...

"To qualify all seven incuse lines must show completely across the bell on the reverse, and the three wisps of hair to the right of Franklin's ear must be distinct and not blended together on the obverse."

Allen rates the 1953-S and 1954-S half dollars as the poorest strikes in the series, with 1949-S, 1951-S and 1952-S coins’ striking quality as "below average."

Rumors of a 1964-dated Franklin half dollar have never been substantiated. The design was changed in 1964 to honor the assassinated President John F. Kennedy.

The Franklin design was used for 15 years.