1959 Franklin Half Dollar

1959 Franklin half dollars are common, with about 20 million made across both the Philadelphia and Denver mints. Therefore, you won’t need to spend very much money to buy examples of half dollars from that year and, for that matter, won’t need to drop too many dollars on buying a proof example, as those are also quite common by and large.

Here’s a breakdown of mintages and values for 1959 Franklin half dollars: 

• 1959, 6,200,000 minted; $11

• 1959 proof, 1,149,291; $25

• 1959-D, 13,053,750; $11

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine-20, unless otherwise noted.

When you are buying 1959 Franklin half dollars, consider spending a little extra cash for uncirculated specimens, as they don’t cost much more than their circulated counterparts and are generally scarcer. Not only will uncirculated Franklins potentially perform better in terms of value than circulated Franklin half dollars, but they are also very beautiful coins in uncirculated grades.

Proof 1959 Franklin half dollars are gorgeous coins, and they are usually found with brilliant surfaces and nice strike. Many have been removed from their original Pliofilm packaging and, therefore, you may encounter several 1959 proof halves that exhibit signs of poor handling. It’s generally best to avoid these pieces.