-
Inventory:
2 In Stock
- Product ID: 19811
Checkout
The MS65 grade is highly coveted among all collectors who enjoy older coins. It is considered one of the higher grades for older coins since even BU coins can carry scratches that interfere with their BU condition. The Certified Franklin Half Dollar 1949-S MS65 NGC has earned the difficult grade and has been certified by NGC. NGC is a highly reputable grading agency in the US who uses their expert grading technology to ensure high numismatic value of their coins. The Certified Franklin Half Dollar 1949-S MS65 NGC was minted by the San Francisco Mint and carries a "S" mint-mark on its reverse.
Although the design, for the Franklin Half Dollar, wasn't approved by the Commission of Fine Arts, the Mint Director still went through with the final design. The main disappointment, for the Commission, was the reverse design, which exhibits a cracked Liberty Bell and a very small bald eagle. The Commission stated that the crack on the Liberty Bell, and the minute size of the eagle, is putting the US coinage at risk for ridicule and inappropriate puns. The Mint Director, Nellie Tayloe Ross, ignored their concerns and approved the Franklin Half Dollar design. The Commission of Arts wasn't the only disapproval Ross received for the design. Ross suggested that Benjamin Franklin be used for the next portrait, knowing it is well documented that Franklin disliked portraits on the US coins, and thought Proverbs should be written on it instead. Ross' defense was that Franklin only knew of royalty portraits and would be honored if a Founding Father was featured instead. Despite its extreme controversy, the US Mint was able to keep the disapprovals from the public, lending to an exciting new chapter in US coinage history.