The Poe Collection
1955


Obverse
Enlarge  
Reverse
Enlarge  

Coin Details

  

Set Details
Origin/Country: United States
Design Description: HALF DOLLARS - FRANKLIN
Item Description: 50C 1955
Grade: NGC MS 64 FBL
Owner: physics-fan3.14
 
Winning Set: The Poe Collection
Date Added: 3/19/2008
Research: See NGC's Census Report for this Coin

Owner's Description

Philadelphia was the only mint to coin Franklin halves in 1955, and they didn’t coin very many at that. The 1955 has the second lowest mintage of the entire series, 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. Because of this, today color coins on the 1955 are scarce, most being ugly and lifeless and dark. 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. <br /><br />B. Max Mehl, the great promoter of coins, was in large part responsible for the popularity of the “Bugs Bunny” variety on the 1955. Other dates also display this interesting feature, but Mehl focused his talents on the 1955. The Bugs Bunny variety is so named because it appears like Franklin has buck teeth, like a rabbit. There are different theories as to how this happened, some of which are die chips, die fatigue, or a die clash. I believe it is due to a die clash, because the eagle’s feathers on the reverse are perfectly aligned with Franklin’s face on the obverse, and so a clash would leave this imprint. Also, the vast amount of die polishing on both sides of the coin tends to indicate that there might have been a clash of some sort, and the mint worker was trying to erase this. 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. These all give evidence of a large and catastrophic clash. <br /><br />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. However, this is only the case for the 1955 Bugs Bunny – the other dates that display this clash do not usually garner the same premium because there is no demand for them. Most collectors don’t even know they exist on other dates. <br /><br />My 1955 is a very nice example of the Bugs Bunny variety. The luster is very good for the date, and the strike is average. It is blast white brilliant, and whether that is original or due to a dipping earlier in its life, I do not know. There is a minimum of high point pitting on Franklin’s cheekbone, and bagmarks and abrasions are average for an MS-64. What really makes this coin special is the Bugs Bunny variety, though. Rather than show a picture of the reverse, I’ve included a close-up of the clash, so you can get an idea of what all the fuss is about. I’ve also heard some people refer to this as the Vampire Franklin, for obvious reasons. I was fortunate enough to pick this one up for $40 on Ebay, mostly because the seller did not have the Bugs Bunny variety mentioned in the title. He had a picture of it, but I guess he just didn’t realize what a difference that made. <br /><br />Notable events in 1955:<br />The Pentagon announces the development of ICBMs armed with nuclear weapons. <br />Disneyland opens.<br />Rock N’ Roll becomes wildly popular. <br />Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister. <br />The Warsaw Pact is signed. <br />Nabokov’s “Lolita” is published. <br />James Dean is killed when he crashes is Porsche. <br />Rosa Parks is arrested on the bus. <br />“The Lady and the Tramp” tops the box office for the year, but “Guys and Dolls” was also released.

To follow or send a message to this user,
please log in