The Poe Collection
1949-S


Obverse
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Reverse
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Coin Details

  

Set Details
Origin/Country: United States
Design Description: HALF DOLLARS - FRANKLIN
Item Description: 50C 1949 S
Grade: NGC MS 64 FBL
Owner: physics-fan3.14
 
Winning Set: The Poe Collection
Date Added: 10/5/2008
Research: See NGC's Census Report for this Coin

Owner's Description

S mint Franklins pretty much never come well struck. Occasionally you will find one that qualifies for FBL, but even the best struck S mint issues are nothing compared to their sisters from Denver. Luckily for FBL collectors, San Francisco only issued Franklins in 5 years, because finding any S mint Franklin in well struck FBL condition is next to impossible. This is most likely due to softer striking pressure, and the few FBLs that do exist were likely from very fresh dies, or after the striking pressure was adjusted. Many S mint Franklin’s exhibit significant high point pitting, nearly obliterating the details on the bell. San Francisco minted Franklin halves in 1949, and 1951 – 1954. By far the hardest date in the entire Franklin series to find well struck is the 1953S. A FBL of that issue is an instant rarity worth thousands of dollars. To date, NGC has certified only 5 1953S FBLs in all grades! <br /><br />Of these S mint Franklins, the 1949 is by far the easiest to find in FBL, most likely because the master hub had not yet begun to significantly wear. Roger Burdette, the noted numismatist and author of the “Renaissance of American Coinage” series, theorized that the reverse dies used might have been shipped to San Francisco in 1948. They were not used immediately because there was a surplus of Walking Liberty halves left in the vaults; San Francisco did not mint any Franklin halves in 1948. On occasion, a rather well struck 1949S will come along, but even so NGC has only certified about 160 FBL of this date in any grade – twice as many as any other S mint, but far below many other issues. The 1949S, before the days of third party certification, was known as “the king of Franklins”. Obviously, this was before the rarity of the 1953S and other issues was understood. Today, the 1949S is considered a semi-key to the series. <br /><br />Besides the poor strike, the 1949S usually has very good luster. Marks are generally few; Tomaska says that MS-65s are much easier to locate than the 1949 or 1949D. Color is usually limited to mint set toning, but the 1949S is the first of the series for which a number of outstanding mint set toned pieces exist. The majority of them are the typical brown, grey, gold, and speckled purple. It is also worth noting that several outstanding prooflike pieces are known for this date. <br /><br />My coin has an amazing strike, not just for a 1949S but for any Franklin. Surprisingly, this is one of my better struck Franklins – all the hair detail is there, and the bell lines are clear, full, and bold. Pass and Stow is also better defined than I’ve seen it on any other Franklin, if I saw this coin but didn’t see the mintmark I would swear it was a 1952D. This coin must have been one of the first strikes of some of the freshest dies. It also has very good luster. The coin also displays the typical mottled mint set toning, but the luster shines through it. It is a solid MS-64 in that there are several large marks, especially on the obverse. Franklin’s head has a large gash, and there is a pretty decent sized mark in the field in front of his nose. Overall, though, I can tolerate these minor imperfections in light of the amazing strike. I got this coin for $137 on Ebay in October, 2008. This is half of what most of the price guides are saying its worth, and I can only figure that the worldwide economic meltdown has affected coin prices and people’s willingness to spend hundreds of dollars on shiny pieces of silver. <br /><br />Music in 1949:<br />Billy Joel, Hank Williams, Jr., Gene Simmons, and Bruce Springsteen are born. <br />45 rpm discs are introduced. <br />Vaughn Monroe’s “Ghost Riders in the Sky” tops the year’s charts. <br />Frankie Lane records “Mule Train,” considered by some to mark the beginning of the rock era.

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