At first glance, the 1954 Franklin half dollar is an ordinary coin. With Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse, the iconography on this silver coin seems standard for U.S. currency. But there’s something special about the Franklin half dollar. Coin collectors take a closer look when determining the values of Franklin half dollar coins produced for the year 1954, examining the level of detail on the Liberty Bell to see if something known as “full bell lines,” or FBL, are present. Some of the Franklin half dollars struck in 1954 and other years were not particularly crisp, and the bell lines – delicate lines representing the cracks on the actual Liberty Bell – don’t always show up. When it comes to the 1954 Franklin half dollar’s value, coins with full bell lines are typically worth more than those without them. The Denver-minted 1954-D Franklin half dollars are the most likely to have FBL, while the San-Francisco mint 1954-S Franklin half dollars are the least likely. If you have a 1954-S Franklin half dollar with FBL, you may have the most valuable version of that year’s half dollar coin in your hands, especially if it’s a well-cared-for proof or if it’s in excellent uncirculated condition. 1954 was a significant mintage year for the Franklin half dollar, so these coins are not terribly rare. The sheer volume of 1954 Franklin half dollars available means that they may be most valuable for their silver content, especially if they aren’t in good condition. Franklin half dollars produced in the 1940s tend to have higher values than those produced in the 1950's. If you have a 1954 Franklin half, it may be best to sell it for its intrinsic silver value. Still, this coin does generate interest among collectors, though unless you have a truly spectacularly preserved proof with FBL and an S mint mark, you may not experience much of a windfall. However, selling this silver coin to a scrap metal collector or a coin collector generally means you’ll earn more than the Franklin half dollar’s face value of 50 cents. Converting 50 cents into a few dollars isn’t such a bad deal. From proofs to worn coins with no bell lines in sight, the Franklin half dollar from 1954 provides intrinsic and extrinsic value though its silver content and its coin collecting interest. No matter what kind of collector you are, it can’t hurt to pick up one of these interesting coins.