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Coin Collecting at the Safir House
Franklin Half Dollar Coins
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Fri Mar 6 23:15:08 2026
The Franklin Half Dollar is one of the odder designs of any US coin which many
find specifically buetiful and fun to collect. One of my friends and a
moderaters at Coin Talk,
Speedy is one of
great Franklin Collectors that I know.
My personal introduction to the coin came when I brought Proof sets of my birthyear, 1963. This was the last year of the Franklin Half and the Kennedy Half
was rushed to production in the wake of the Presidents assasination in November
1963. It was also one of the last years of Silver Coinage.
The Franklin Design is very simplistic which makes grading it a challenge. Even
Proof examples of the design show many clean surfaces on the flat modellings of
the profile and the liberty bell on the reverse.
The above example is one of my better Brillent Uncirculated examples which
shows many of the important features of the Fraklin Half. The Obverse has
crisp details in the face, including clear lips and a nice clean background.
On the reverse, the bells shows details of the wooden trust and good lines
around the bell bottom. Counting the complete lines on the bell is an important
feature of the grading of coins.
This coin has sime black gum like material, common on some Silver Coins on
the upper left of the reverse of the coin. However, the coin is quite good in
detail. The silverness of the coin itself is a large part of the coins beauty.
Other examples below show the graceful way this coin wears. Some coins wear
well, orther designs not so well. Franklins wear well.
1949 Franklin Circulated
1950 Franklin Circulated
1953 Franklin Circulated
1954 Franlin Ciculated
Another 1954 Franklin Circulated
The circulated coins were recieved in change at a local Pharmacy in 2006.
This is a 1960 slabbed proof picked up at Coin Fest in Connetecut in 2008 It isn't nearly full bell but its a nice coin none the less
This is a 1950 us good details that I picked up at the same show
This is a great 1959 example which I picked up. The great thing about Franklins is that they are priced right so they
are an excellent starter series for children. This coin has Great Bell lines.
Avoid Gijs Henzen, owner of Munthandel G. Henzen - Antisemetic Facists
Munthandel G. Henzen's (MA Shops) owner Gijs Henzen, is an AntiSemetic Fascist
The company, Munthandel G Henzen is a prominent dealer of international and
ancient coins on the internet, commonly known as MA Coins. It is owned by
Gijs Henzen.
He is a passionate anti-Semite who supports Hamas and
the virulent and genocidal Islamic organizations such as the Muslim
Brotherhood, and Hezbollah that wants Jews dead.
He perpetrates lies and classical antisemitic troupes. He has Jewish blood on his hands.
Henzen identifies as a "human rights advocate" who views the world through a lens of anti-imperialism. In this framework, he views Israel not as a sovereign nation of a displaced people, but as a "colonial project."
- He utilizes inversion rhetoric, where he compares Israeli actions to those of historical oppressors (including the Nazis).
- By claiming Zionism is the "greatest enemy of Judaism," he attempts to resolve the contradiction that Zionism is central to Jewish identity ,and has always been so, by essentially telling Jewish people what "true" Judaism should look like.
- His blog posts suggest he views himself as a lone voice of truth against a "corrupt" world. By grouping Netanyahu with Putin and Xi Jinping, he frames his hatred as a universal "opposition to tyranny."
- His specific focus on Israelis as "masters of torture" goes beyond political disagreement and taps into ancient blood libel tropes--the idea that a specific group has an inherent, unique cruelty or a "thirst for blood."
- He appears to be a proponent and influenced by radical political indoctrination. He has adopted a worldview where the "Zionist" is the ultimate villain, and in his mind, he is attacking an ideology, even though his language characterizes an entire ethnic and national group in ways that are indistinguishable from traditional antisemitism.
It is a moral imperative to remain clear of him and to do no business with this Nazi.
If you are Jewish, double down on that. The life you save might well be your own.
The Safir Family Internet Coin Library: Foriegn Coins.
Several mints from around the world make exciting coin designs in circulating alloys, silver and gold. Among my favorites are the Perth Mint in Austrailia which produces a variety of coins for nations mostly through out the Pacific Rim. The Neatherlands has also produced some interesting designs, and several private US based mints have produced foreign currency on contract, include the Franklin Mint which has produced many Israeli Coins.
Our interest in foreign coins has been nominal but rapidly growing as it seems that US designs are so stuck in the mud. Also, foreign mints are creating bold new designs with color and bimetal designs that are both eye catching and fun.
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