1952 Half Dollar Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

Collecting coins is one of the most interesting hobbies out there. It’s exciting and it doesn’t take a lot of time or physical effort, with the latter being my favorite aspect of numismatics!

A half dollar is one of the most famous pieces of US Mint history. In this article, we will talk more about a 1952 half dollar value, grading, history, errors, and much more. Stick around to learn everything you need to know about this wonderful coin!

1952 Half Dollar Value Chart
Condition	1952 No Mint Mark Half Dollar Value	1952 D Mint Mark Half Dollar Value	1952 S Mint Mark Half Dollar Value
Poor	$9 – $10	$9 – $10	$9 – $10
Fair	$10 – $12	$10 – $12	$10 – $12
About good	$12 – $15	$12 – $15	$12 – $15
Good	$15	$15	$15
Fine	$15	$15	$15 – $20
Very fine	$15 – $20	$15 – $20	$20 – $25
Extremely fine	$20 – $25	$20 – $25	$20 – $30
About Uncirculated	$25	$25	$30 – $40
Mint state (60-64)	$25 – $60	$25 – $60	$40 – $80
Mint state (65-67)	$60 – $500	$60 – $500	$80 – $500
Mint state (68-70)	$500 – $1 000 +	$500 – $1 000 +	$500 – $1 000 +

1952 No Mint Mark Half Dollar Value

A half dollar coin was first produced in 1794. It was made of silver until 1971 when the US Mint decided to change the composition to copper and nickel due to the rising prices of the precious metal.

Half dollars made in 1952 contain 90% silver and only 10% of copper, weigh 12.5 grams (0.44 oz.), and are 30.6 millimeters (1.2 in) in diameter. Their edges are reeded with 150 reeds.

1952 Half Dollar History

From the year a half dollar was first introduced to the market until 1947, the coin featured a woman representing liberty on the front side and an eagle on the back.

Up until 1916 a half dollar featured a right-facing portrait of a woman. These coins are also known as Barber half dollars and they got their name after the designer.

Between 1916 and 1947, the US Mint produced one of the most beautiful coins in US numismatic history – the Walking Liberty half dollars.

This design featured Liberty walking with a spread right arm in which she holds a wreath and branches of oak. She is covered with the US flag and in the background is the rising sun. The reverse still featured an eagle.

From 1948 to 1964 a half dollar depicted Benjamin Franklin on the front and Liberty Bell on the back.

In 1964 the Franklin design was replaced with Kennedy half dollars, and the latter is still in production. However, since 2002, the US Mint has been producing half dollars mostly only for coin sets and rarely for circulation.

There were two years when the design was changed, in 1975 and 1976, when the US was celebrating two centuries since the Declaration of Independence.

1952 Half Dollar Appearance

A half dollar from 1952 features Benjamin Franklin on the obverse. Franklin is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and therefore, one of the most important historical figures of this country.

The coin shows his right-facing profile at the center. Above his head is the word LIBERTY which replaced the woman who represented liberty before. Below him is the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST, which is one of the US mottos. To Franklin’s right side is the year 1952.

The reverse of the coin depicts Liberty Bell, a landmark located in Philadelphia that represents independence. Another US motto, ET PLURIBUS UNUM, is on the left side of the Liberty Bell. To its right side is an eagle.

The top of the coin is engraved with the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the bottom is engraved with the denomination, HALF DOLLAR.

1952 No Mint Mark Half Dollar Price

A half dollar from 1952 is, as mentioned, made of silver. The melting value of this coin is around eight dollars at the time of writing (March 2023), so this is the minimum that you can get if you are looking to sell one or more of these wonderful coins.

A half dollar with no mint mark indicates that it was produced in the Philadelphia Mint. This coin factory made 21 274 073 half dollars in 1952, so these are not particularly rare.

If a half dollar from 1952 is in good or fine condition, you can expect to get or pay around $25 when selling or buying it. If it is in uncirculated condition, the price is also around $25, but you may be able to get five or ten dollars more, depending on the buyers’ interest at the given time.

1952 half dollars that are in mint state with the grade of 60-64 are usually worth up to around $60, but there have been situations when they were sold for much more.

You are especially lucky if you have a half dollar from 1952 that is graded 65 and more. In this case, you can expect to get hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of dollars for one of those.

1952 D Mint Mark Half Dollar Value

A half dollar produced in 1952 with a D mint mark indicates that it was made in the Denver Mint. The factory in Denver minted 25 395 600 half dollars in 1952, even more than Philadelphia. This means that it’s not particularly difficult to come across a half dollar from this year.

You can find a D mint mark on the reverse side of the coin, in between the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the top of the Liberty Bell.

The prices of this coin range from its melting value, which is a bit over eight dollars, and thousands of dollars. The price depends on a coin’s condition, which is the most important factor that goes into determining the value of a coin.

The good news is, even if your half dollar is in poor condition, you can still get at least 16 times its face value if you decide to sell it. If it is in good condition, the price is around $15, while those in fine and extremely fine condition can sell for $25 on average.

The half dollars with a grade of 65 usually sell for up to $70 but if they are graded 66, that price doubles, and sometimes even triples.

According to the online auctions from 2023, half dollars from 1952 cost between $120 and $564, while the ones with one grade higher are between $120 and $228.

The price significantly rises when it comes to the 1952-D half dollars that have a grade of 67. During this year alone, two of them were sold at auctions, one for $1 150 and the other for $1 920.

The all-time highest amount someone paid for a half-dollar from 1952 is $42 300. This was a coin in mint state 67 and the auction was held in 2019.

The prices generally increase if a Franklin dollar has an FBL, or “full bell line”. These are the coins that have a clear bell line indicating a good strike during the minting process. It also means that they were well-preserved over time so that the design can be seen clearly.

Overall, the half-dollars from 1952 are often sought-after by collectors and numismatics. You may not be able to sell one right away, but be patient and wait for the perfect buyer. If you are looking to buy one, look at multiple places so you can find the best deal out there.

1952 S Mint Mark Half Dollar Value

The third variety of a half dollar from 1952 comes from the San Francisco Mint. These coins have an S mint mark on the reverse, just above the top of the Liberty Bell.

San Francisco produced 5 526 000 of half dollars in 1952, making this variety the rarest out of the three. The price of these coins is also slightly higher than the value of the half dollars minted in Philadelphia and Denver.

The starting value is the same – it’s between eight and nine dollars, which is the melting value of the silver that these coins are mostly made of. The coins in fair and good condition can sell for up to $15. Half dollars that are extremely fine are twice as expensive at around $30.

Uncirculated half dollars from 1952 are usually valued at $30 – $40 but can sell for even more in some cases.

Naturally, the rarest, most valuable, and therefore most expensive coins are the ones in mint state. The half dollars with the grades 60, 61, 62, 63, and 64 are worth up to approximately $100, although there have been cases of them selling for more than that.

Half dollars from 1952 graded 65 have been sold at auctions during the past several years for as little as $70 and as high as $1 800.

MS65 half dollars that sell for several hundred dollars or more than a thousand have the FBL mark meaning that the strike used to engrave the coin was perfect.

Next, one half dollar graded MS66 + FBL was sold for $5 520 in May 2022. This staggering price is due to the full bell line, but regular MS66 half dollars from 1952 sell for somewhere between a hundred and two hundred dollars.

Half dollars from 1952 with a grade of 67 are usually sold for thousands of dollars. The average minimum is around $1 000 but that can go up to $5 000 for certain pieces.

In fact, the most expensive 1952-S half dollar recorded at auctions was sold for $25 850 in 2014! It was graded 67 and it had the full bell line on top of its excellent condition.

As you can see, the price of a coin can’t be determined solely by taking into account its condition, although it is the most important factor. Almost every series of coins has something that makes some of the specimens stand out and command a premium.

1952 Half Dollar Grading

Grading of a 1952 half dollar is done on a scale of 1 to 70, with lower numbers indicating poor condition, and high numbers indicating excellent condition.

It’s crucial to have your coin graded because you may not be able to estimate the correct price you can ask for it unless you are a professional yourself.

Rare 1952 Half Dollar Error Lists

When selling or buying a 1952 half dollar, you should be particularly careful in examining whether your coin has any errors that can increase its price.

These mint errors are rare but occasionally occur in a Franklin half dollar produced in 1952, so let’s learn more about them.

1952 Half Dollar Clipped Planchet

If a coin has chipped parts on its edges, chances are your half dollar has a clipped planchet error. This error is very interesting, so the coins that are affected by it can get quite pricey.

1952 Half Dollar Bugs Bunny

Another rare error that occurred in Franklin half dollars during the minting process is the so-called Bugs Bunny error. This error happens when the dies clash and then transfer the wrong design or parts of the design onto a coin.

In this case, the result of a die clash is Benjamin Franklin appearing to have buck teeth, therefore the name of the error.

If you are one of the lucky people in possession of this rare coin, you may be able to sell it for hundreds of dollars, depending on the quality of your half dollar.

1952 Half Dollar FAQ

Does a 1952 half dollar have silver?

Yes! A half dollar from 1952 is made of 90% silver. The remaining 10% of the material is copper.

Where is the mint mark on a 1952 half dollar?

The mint mark on a 1952 half dollar is on the reverse, between the name of the country on the top and the upper part of the Liberty Bell.

Is a 1952 half dollar worth anything?

Absolutely! A half dollar from 1952 is worth at least its melting value which is nearly $9 at the time of writing (March 2023). The price increases for the coins that are in mint state, with some being sold for tens of thousands of dollars in the past.