The Franklin half dollar series ran across three decades, starting in 1948 and ending in 1963. John R. Sinnock’s obverse design relies on a famed Franklin portrait bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon and the reverse, assisted by Gilroy Roberts, depicts the Liberty Bell.

Full strikes are elusive on a few key issues, including the 1953-S coin. One of these prized San Francisco Mint halves, graded Mint State 65 Full Bell Lines by Professional Coin Grading Service, realized $33,600 as the top lot at Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ offerings of the John Stoebner Collection of Franklin Half Dollars, the all-time third finest set of “FBL Franklins” on the PCGS Set Registry. 

While the typical Uncirculated 1953-S half dollar is well-preserved, most show a mushy strike on the reverse. PCGS has graded just 50 Full Bell Lines examples of this issue in all grades, with only four finer on the PCGS Population Report.

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