The Franklin Half Dollar, also called the "Holt Half", was minted from 1948 to 1963. The obverse features Benjamin Franklin and the reverse features the Liberty Bell. The coin was designed by John R. Sinnock and his initials appear near Franklin's shoulder. The reverse side also features a small eagle to the right side of the Liberty Bell. This was required by law but is somewhat ironic since Franklin opposed using the eagle as the national symbol. His preference, which he called "more noble", was the turkey.
Production on the Franklin Half Dollar stopped prematurely due to the assassination of John F Kennedy. Congress passed a bill that began the production of the Kennedy Half Dollar in 1964. The Franklin Half Dollar had been slated to run until 1972.
Coins in this series without a mint mark were minted in Philadelphia, those with a "D" were minted in Denver and those with an "S" were minted in San Francisco. One notable error in this series resulted in the "Bugs Bunny" error. This error is found in 1955 Philadelphia coins and is named because damage to the coin's obverse die resulted in Franklin having a split lip which gave the appearance of buck teeth.
