What happened to the Franklin Half Dollar Market

Its a poor girls or guys collection. I have 4 1955 proof sets. Their not worth even talking about. Sorry @Hommer

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Where's my eject button?

 

That is a rare exception. The common date market in lower grades for proofs isn't doing so hot, but the business strike market is even worse. I have had zero problem selling early 1950s DCAM coins.

 

Wonderful! I would like to buy a 1950 proof Franklin around PF 65. I just don't want to overpay since I don't collect Franklin's.

 

The biggest issue is picking up one with nice mirrors. Some of the proof coinage from 1950 doesn't have very deep mirrors and are close to having a satin finish. I would search out one for with nice mirrors. It would be worth a premium and is likely one that would hold its value (if any non-DCAM/CAM gem proof 1950 is going to hold value).

 

Frankies are going for about the same as any other "junk silver". That doesn't mean they won't start to have some additional numismatic value, like Walking Libs are beginning to have. You can still pick up some Franklins for around 12x face, (or you could last week). I think the Franklins will lift some when silver goes over $16.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with this. Franklin's should be an entry level set. If we keep pushing costs to astronomical heights, we will force young collectors away from the hobby.

 

Rick Tomaska convinced the TPG's to recognize fbl and cameo designations. That put a spotlight on this series. It drove demand for awhile.

 

They are affordable, just not in GEM++ condition. Same thing with Jefferson nickels, LMCs, Kennedy halves, Ike dollars, Roosevelt dimes etc.

 

One man's junk is another man's treasure. I, and most others love their Franklins, and you probably have a few favorites too. I don't know where these opinions about slipping prices are coming from, but the coins I'm seeking are only soaring in price...You go your way and I'll go mine. Just my entry level 50 year as a collector opinion.

 

Don't misunderstand. I too love Franklin's. My mother giving me a Franklin half back in the 1960's for school lunch is exactly the catalyst that fueled my lifelong love of coins. I also believe my generation has so overinflated the value of them that we threaten the longevity of our hobby. If young collectors cannot afford what we have overvalued. Then what future does numismatics have?

 

Sometimes millenials just can't stand the truth.
The General

 

Rick Tomaska overhyped it.

 

if a person thinks they might be interested in "coin collecting" and go to any of the coin shows on TV (especially Rick Tomaska- self proclaimed coin expert) they will see his overpriced coins for sale and decide coin collecting is to expensive for them to pursue. I truly believe coin TV coin shows are responsible for helping kill our hobby. There must be some under informed buyers out there, besides Rick's regular four times a week show, he is buying one hour blocks of times on "for sale channels". I laughed my head off the other day, two of those 1 hour blocks of time were showing at the same time as his regular show. Nothing like being your own competition.

As an aside, I do like the "Bugs Bunny" Franklin Half. Just pick a year, there are several years that have them.

 

I was watching him over the weekend, and he had over four different Cameo designations. A grading scale for Cameo. That really no tpg recognizes, according to him they don't get these types of designations that he gives them, Unless it's deep cameo, etc....

 

I think most coin series could fall into the same category of overpriced and overgraded. $20 Saints are probably the most undervalued thing going these days, relative to their value over spot, but out of reach for most of us. Circulated Morgan dollars are a great way for new collectors to build a beautiful collection without breaking the bank. Lincoln cents in XF-AU are also very affordable. Everything we do in life is relative to our economic ability, especially things like coin collecting. When I started collecting, sorting thru bags of pennies was my only option, not buying coins from the local shop. The expensive ones never made it into my collection unless I found them, kind of like roll searching is now. I have a really nice set of Franklins but certainly not even close to the finest available, it's all relative to my budget, as it is for most of us.

 

The way I see it, FBL now matters far more in key dates, when it was more rare. The 1948-53 FBLs still demand a significant premium in FBL gem grades, as the coins were less well struck, than later years. Definitely a price contraction for the Frankie market, though.

 

I enjoy collecting Franklin Half Dollars partly because I would receive them as an allowance and Grandparents would give as gifts and partly out of admiration for Mr. Franklin . I'm always adding them to my little hoard of Franklin halves , Commemoratives & tokens .

 

Sorry

 

To put a positive spin on this thread, are there any keys or varieties or errors in the series worth picking up now that the market has tanked?