There really is "no comparison"...

Greetings Collectors,

I went to the bank yesterday and brought home all of my Franklin halves so I could spend the weekend taking a close look at all of them. I then for the first time actually looked at the census to see just how scarce some of the dates throughout the series were in "gem" MS-65 with the "full bell line" designation. I knew that several of the dates were very scarce but the actual numbers really surprized me. This being my favorite silver coin series now for about the last five years, I then wanted to compare it with what "was" my favorite coin series and now resides very comfortably in a "solid 2nd place", which is the Walking Liberty half (1934-1947). What I saw astounded me, to say the least.

The coin I have pictured here is one of the "key" rarities of the entire Franklin half series. Some may disagree but I do think that the top five Franklins in the least amount known are the following in order of most scarce first. I am also only refering to ones with the "full bell line" designation: The "holy grail" of all Franklins without a doubt is the 1953-S followed by a tie between the 1952-S, & the coin pictured, the 1953-P. In 3rd place would be the 1962-P 4th place I would give a "tie" again between the 1949-D & 1950-D and 5th place, another tie with the 1961-P & the 1951-S.

The coins mentioned above can be checked for my numbers to follow and rather than go into all of them I am only going to state figures for my 1953-P here and the "top" Franklin, the 53-S both with "full bell lines". For the comparison I took the what I beleive to be the "most scarce" in the entire Walker series, the 1921-D. Then just a couple more that while they may not be in 2nd & 3rd place on the "most rare" list, they are the "keys" to the Walker "middle set" and the "short set" respectfully. The 1938-D and the 1941-S. (the following numbers are for NGC graded coins only)

Census numbers for the 1921-D:

MS-64 74 coins

MS-65 18 coins

MS-66 3 coins

Census numbers for the 1938-D:

MS-65 371 coins

MS-66 113 coins

MS-67 19 coins

Census numbers for the 1941-S:

MS-65 826 coins

MS-66 210 coins

MS-67 17 coins

Now for what I thought to be a "shocker" for two of what I think to be in the "top five" of the Franklin FBL series.

Census numbers for the 1953-S:

MS-63 FBL 1 coin

MS-64 FBL 1 coin

MS-65 FBL 4 coins

MS-66 & above 0 coins

Census numbers for the 1953-P:

A total of 107 coins in all grades of FBL.

MS-62 FBL 1 coin

MS-63 FBL 6 coins

MS-64 FBL 66 coins

MS-65 FBL 32 coins

MS-66 FBL 2 coins

MS-67 FBL & above 0 coins

Out of the entire 35 coin Franklin series, there have been only 79,938 coins graded by NGC in all grades of "mint state". Of that only 19,732 coins were designated "full bell lines" in all grades. There are only 6 dates in the entire series that have over 1,000 coins designated FBL in "all grades" mint state & other and of those they're just barely over 1,000 coins in each of those few dates. I can not begin to tell you what an opprotunity awaits those who start to "salt away" dates in this fairly short series in FBL 64 and above. The vast majority of these coins have been melted for their silver content so total mintage for any date is way off in the total left in "captivity" Most original rolls have long since been broken up so remaining "undiscovered" gems are hardly a figure worth mentioning. Also the vast majority of coins that grade MS-65 and higher are "mint set toned" coins. When looking at coins in this series to aquire, one should concentrate on only the following two types of coins. Coins that are "brilliant white" or coins with rainbow colors. If you do, you will have coins that will reward you greatly. Remember, it's always about the mintage and then to go one further, it's all about the total populations. The coin you see here is one of only 32 at NGC with only 2 higher by one notch. NGC is by far the "more strict" of the top two graders when it comes to this particular series, (a fact known only too well by those that study this series) and while PCGS have FBL Franklins as well, I would much rather have a complete set in NGC slabs. These "mid 20th century silver halves" are "hands down" many times rarer than 90+% of the entire Walker series which I love as well.

On the "flip side" in the entire Walking Liberty Half" series, there have been coins graded "mint state" totaling 190,081 coins. That equels two and 1/3 times more Walkers graded in mint state than Franklins and if you wanted to just compare the mint state Walkers to the "full bell line" Franklins the figure jumps to almost 10 times the amount of Walkers to FBL Franklins.

I know some of you will say that's like comparing apples to grapefruit with the Walker series being a longer series. All I am tring to show is what a "sleeper series" the Franklin series is. With the exception of just 6 dates there are maybe just a hundred or so coins that grade MS-66 FBL in the entire 16 year run. Any way you want to slice it, that is a scary low group of coins.

On a side note, next to one of my rarest Franklins are a couple of very rare "Kilo bars" from the old refining name of "Universal Silver" (early 1900's) each one weighing 1002 grams or 32.32 ounces each at .9998 pure from Assay house #50.

I hope you have enjoyed this little group of "factoids" and also hope you enjoyed looking at these two old slabs of silver that I am very proud of and feel very fortunate to own. If you get a chance, take a look at some of my Franklin Half sets. I want to complete set one with all MS-65 full bell line coins and I only have about 1/2 dozen left to go out of this 35 coin series before completion of that goal. Thanks for reading and as always, "Happy Collecting".

WKF