Yes, the Franklin Half Dollar still stands for the "American Concept". By this I mean that the Liberty Bell and the entire coin continues to stand for what our ancestors fought so hard for. From freedom to liberty, to a non-monarch and then on to civil rights. I cannot very well restate my entire essay from last year, but I can discuss even more reasons as to why the Franklin Half continues to reign as my favorite numismatic item.

Practically every Coin Shop I have ever been in has a display of Franklins, in either the front window, main display case, or in some other prominent spot. I had always found this interesting, but like most people, I never bothered to inquire as to "why the Franklins seemed to be such a prominent coin in these small town shops?"

However, one day, while in a local shop, I did decide to investigate, and my findings were quite interesting. After that examination, as well as making a few other inquiries, I discovered that people are not only in awe of the Franklin's beauty, but dealers have found that Franklins are especially easy coins to sell as a first coin (to new collectors). A dealer told me those with limited income may either purchase a proof or a circulated Franklin Half Dollar at prices ranging from seventy five cents to twenty dollars, or up to one hundred dollars for an extremely fine specimen.

My main question is simple, why is the Morgan Dollar considered the "Collector's Jewel" opposed to the Franklin Half Dollar? I feel, in a time when our hobby, our passion, and in some cases our lifestyle (numismatics) is dissipating, we should pay recognition to THE coin which is sold time and time again to new or aspiring collectors. It is the Franklin that continues to draw in the youth of America, helping to infect others with a contagious love of numismatics.

Throughout the past year I have had the opportunity to advance and learn more and more about the Franklin Series. I learned of several interesting errors, of all sorts. My experiences with the world of errors and varieties has been interesting. I acquired a mass amount of knowledge over the summer, and now that knowledge is being put to good use as I continue my research on the Franklin Half Dollar and place it into my developing website for the Franklin Half Dollar. Among those prominent errors that are known to exist with Franklin Half Dollars are the Double Die Proof and the Bugs Bunny Franklin. During this time period I have also been able to increase my appreciation for this coin through clubs such as the FCC (Franklin Collectors' Club) and CONECA.

Last year's essay discussed this aspect so I will only make a few brief comments about this subject. Benjamin Franklin is more so the Father of Our County than any other man. Many people fail to realize that Benjamin Franklin was not only a writer and statesman, but also a negotiator. During our American Revolution, it was Franklin that went over to France and argued and pled with the French Government until they finally decided to send us aid. If Franklin was not there, or did not complete this task, we would not have received soldiers, supplies or money from France and most likely we would have lost the war. Our country does, in fact, owe this great man our undying respect and admiration, as he is one of the reasons why a group of rebels were able to break from their Mother Country. I will not go into detail about the library, schools, police, fire company and several other organizations that are imperative in our world today, but I will remind you that Franklin is to be thanked for each of those.

I absolutely love what the Franklin Half stands for, it is the theoretical picture of America. It helps to influence and touch those "potential" collectors, and converts them into numismatists. Finally, I will restate the phrase that I have told fellow collectors time and time again "It's just a beautiful coin!"