2018-09-17 Mon

Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ sold a 1950 Franklin Half Dollar for $39,600 on 15th August at Rarities Night auction. The coin is commonly found in several grades but the offered one was graded MS-67+ full bell lines (FBL) by PCGS. Only two 1950 Franklin Half Dollars exist in such a remarkable condition.

The coin features great lustre and a very clear strike. It also has cobalt blue, salmon pink and orange-gold toning on the edge of the obverse side. Only if the Liberty Bell on the obverse has complete and continuous lower lines, an FBL tag is given to MS Franklin half dollars by PCGS.

The same coin was sold for $15,275 by Heritage Auction in June 2017 at Long Beach auctions. Another example in the same grade was sold for $18,212.50 by Heritage in 2015. One of the 18 PCGS MS-67 FBL examples was sold for $4,080 by Heritage in April at Central States Numismatic Society auctions. This denotes the fact that similar coins in higher grade have an impressive market value.

Image courtesy: Stacks and Bowers