Owner Comments:
Philadelphia was the only mint to coin Franklin halves in 1955, and they didn’t coin very many at that. This has led some Franklin collectors to refer to the 1955, and its similar sister, the 1956, as the two “only children.” The 1955 has the lowest mintage of the entire series at 2.5 million business strikes, a fact that was often pointed out by early promoters. Due to the promoting of several dealers, especially when the coin market was at its peak in the 60’s, the 1955 is very easily available in Uncirculated. Also, because white coins were preferred in those days, most of the coins that did acquire color were dipped. The typical toned 1955 is very dark, usually blue or violet (also similar to the 1956). The strike and luster tend to be average, but Tomaska says that water spots are not usually a problem. The major problems on the 1955 are bagmarks and abrasions. 1955 is a very baggy date, so gems are underrated.
B. Max Mehl, the great promoter of coins, was in large part responsible for the popularity of the “Bugs Bunny” variety on the 1955. The Bugs Bunny variety is so named because it appears like Franklin has buck teeth, like a rabbit. It was caused by a strong die clash, the overlay below shows exactly how the eagle’s feathers produced the apparent buck teeth. I’ve heard this variety also called the Vampire Franklin, for obvious reasons. The vast amount of die polish almost always present on Bugs Bunnies is evidence of the mint worker trying to erase signs of the clash. Present, but very rarely discussed, are other evidences of clashing – remnants of the motto at the back of Franklin’s head, and remnants of his nose underneath the eagle on the reverse.
NGC does not recognize the Bugs Bunny variety, but PCGS does. I am not sure why NGC doesn’t recognize it, but I have heard that it is due to fears of trademark infringement. Nevertheless, it is widely recognized by Franklin collectors as well as the general collecting public, most likely due to its name. If you can think up a clever name for a variety, and get a bunch of people to recognize it, you will have an instant hit on your hands. For example, the 1955 in MS-64 FBL should be about $40. It is very common for a Bugs Bunny example to go for twice that. The record price paid was $750 for a PCGS MS-65 FBL. The Bugs Bunny variety is somewhat easy to find, there are almost always one or two on Ebay, but they are usually low grade uncirculated. Finding one that grades MS-64 or 65 is very difficult, and then try to find one with full bell lines besides, and you will start to understand the premium placed on higher graded FBL Bugs Bunny varieties.
The Bugs Bunny clash is known on a few other dates, but collectors are generally unaware of this. The 1955 is by far the most common, so this was the date that was easiest to promote. Because the Bugs Bunny is the result of a die clash, it could have happened on any of the 35 issues. Certain issues have only a couple of examples known, and these will fetch large premiums with the right collectors. Bugs Bunnies are known on 1949, 1951, 1954, 1955, and 1956, and many more. For more, see the excellent Franklin variety Signature Set Bret Parrish has put together under the user name bparrish0015.
I have three 1955’s – the delicious coin shown here, a fantastically toned 65FBL specimen which the current coin replaces, and a 64FBL Bugs Bunny which is the secondary. My primary is an incredibly nice example of the date – strong strike, unusually nice rainbow coloring, and decent luster. The coin is solidly graded at 66 despite a couple of marks. The bell lines, however, are among the strongest I’ve seen for the date. The toning exhibits the darker blue that is most common for the date – but adds a splash of golden color around the rims. It makes for an incredibly appealing display. The luster is dimmed somewhat by the thick toning, but is present. I bought the Bugs Bunny for $40 (a steal from Ebay), and the 65FBL for $85 (also an incredible bargain, especially given the eye appealing toning).
Notable events in 1955:
The Pentagon announces the development of ICBMs armed with nuclear weapons.
Disneyland opens.
Rock N’ Roll becomes wildly popular.
Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister.
The Warsaw Pact is signed.
Nabokov’s “Lolita” is published.
James Dean is killed when he crashes is Porsche.
Rosa Parks is arrested on the bus.
“The Lady and the Tramp” tops the box office for the year, but “Guys and Dolls” was also released.