Just 3,006,814 Franklin Half Dollars left the Philadelphia Mint in 1948, the smallest business-strike mintage of the entire series. That figure covers the very first year the design was issued, and most of those coins went straight into pocket change. Survivors with full, unbroken bell lines and clean Gem surfaces represent a small fraction of what was made. This half dollar combines the series' opening date with a strike designation collectors actively hunt.

John R. Sinnock modeled the obverse portrait of Benjamin Franklin on the famous Houdon bust, giving the statesman a calm profile with bold detail through the hair and coat. LIBERTY arcs above while IN GOD WE TRUST curves along the lower border, and the date sits at the right. The reverse centers on the Liberty Bell with its crack and yoke rendered in sharp relief, and a small eagle stands at the right to satisfy the legal requirement for an eagle on silver coinage. E PLURIBUS UNUM appears at the left, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and HALF DOLLAR completing the legends.

PCGS graded this piece MS-66 FBL, confirming both Gem preservation and complete lower bell lines. The surfaces keep their original mint luster beneath light peripheral toning in soft blue and pale gold, and the fields show no distracting marks. A Full Bell Lines designation at the MS-66 level is a demanding combination for this date, since the strike on 1948 halves often leaves the lower lines blurred. For those seeking a well-struck Gem example of the first-year Franklin, this coin delivers. The coin pictured is the exact coin you will receive.

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1948 Franklin Half Dollar PCGS MS-66 FBL