Melt values › Franklin half dollar
Franklin half dollar value today: melt value and specs
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By GoldGuy. First published Oct 24, 2026. Specs checked against the sources below on Oct 24, 2026; melt values refresh with every price update. Numista catalog: N#2835.
As of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET, a Franklin half dollar is worth $17.81 in silver, per Bullion Price Check: 0.36169 troy oz of pure silver × silver spot $49.25/oz (gold-api.com). It was the half dollar design from 1948 to 1963, just before the Kennedy.
Key facts
- Melt value: $17.81 (Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET)
- Silver content: 0.36169 troy oz
- Weight / fineness: 12.50 g, 90% silver (.900)
- Years: 1948–1963
- Silver spot: $49.25/oz (gold-api.com, Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET)
Specifications (checked Oct 24, 2026)
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Years struck | 1948–1963 | source |
| Design | Benjamin Franklin (obverse), Liberty Bell (reverse) | source |
| Weight | 12.50 g | source |
| Fineness | .900 silver | source |
| Pure silver | 0.36169 troy oz | calculated |
Sources: Coinage Act of 1873, secs. 13 and 15 (17 Stat. 424), full text at FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; U.S. Mint: Half Dollar (design history). Under the Coinage Act of 1873 (sec. 13) US silver coins were 900 parts silver per 1,000 by weight, and (sec. 15) the half dollar weighed 12.5 grams, with the quarter at half that weight and the dime at one fifth. Those standards held until the Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver from dimes and quarters and cut the half dollar to 40% silver. (Coinage Act of 1873, secs. 13 and 15 (17 Stat. 424), full text at FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Coinage Act of 1965, Public Law 89-81 (79 Stat. 254), congress.gov)
Franklin half dollar melt value by quantity
| Coins | Face value | Silver (troy oz) | Melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.50 | 0.3617 | $17.81 |
| 5 | $2.50 | 1.8085 | $89.07 |
| 10 | $5.00 | 3.6169 | $178.15 |
| 20 | $10.00 | 7.2338 | $356.29 |
| 40 | $20.00 | 14.4676 | $712.59 |
| 100 | $50.00 | 36.1690 | $1,781.47 |
Melt = 0.36169 troy oz × silver spot $49.25/oz as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET (gold-api.com). Full-weight coins; worn coins can be slightly lighter.
How to recognize a Franklin half dollar
Benjamin Franklin's portrait on the front and the Liberty Bell on the back. It replaced Walking Liberty in 1948 and was itself replaced by the Kennedy half in 1964 (U.S. Mint).
Franklin half dollar facts
- The Franklin design was not tied to an anniversary. It came from Director of the Mint Nellie Tayloe Ross, who wanted Benjamin Franklin and the Liberty Bell on a coin. (source)
- Its 1964 replacement, the Kennedy half, was the last 90% silver half dollar; under the Coinage Act of 1965, Kennedy halves from 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver. (source)
- A roll of 20 Franklin halves ($10 face) holds 7.2338 troy oz of silver at full weight.
Selling Franklin halves
The Franklin ran for 16 years, from 1948 to 1963. It holds exactly the same 0.36169 oz of silver as a Walking Liberty or a 1964 Kennedy, so at melt all three are worth exactly the same.
If your Franklin still has full luster and sharp detail on the Liberty Bell, check a collector estimate for its year before selling it at melt.
$1 face = 0.7234 oz silver ($35.63 today, full weight; worn-coin basis).
Franklin half dollar: collector estimate vs melt
Pick a year to compare Numista's live estimates by grade with melt (N#2835).
Each check uses our limited monthly allowance of Numista requests, so it runs only when you click.
Related melt values
Walking Liberty half dollar · Barber half dollar · Barber quarter · 1964 Kennedy half dollar · 1964 quarter · junk silver per $1 face · Coin value lookup (melt vs collector estimate) · Sell silver coins
Frequently asked questions
How much silver is in a Franklin half dollar?
0.36169 troy oz of pure silver: 12.5 g at 90% silver. About 2.76 Franklins make one ounce.
What is the melt value of a Franklin half dollar?
$17.81 as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET, from 0.36169 troy oz of silver at spot.
What is a 1963 Franklin half dollar worth?
At least $17.81 in silver as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET; 1963 is the last Franklin year (U.S. Mint). For grade-by-grade collector estimates, use the Numista check on this page.
Numista data on this page (issue lists and collector price estimates) is loaded live from Numista each time you ask for it, through our server, and is not stored by Bullion Price Check. Numista is a collaborative catalog: its estimates are not an appraisal, a grading or an offer. Source: Numista (numista.com). Numista is a trademark of its owner; no endorsement implied.
General information, not financial advice. Bullion Price Check publishes price data; it does not buy or sell coins.