The Liberty Bell on the reverse of this half dollar was cast in Philadelphia in 1753, after the first bell, brought from London, cracked. The famous crack appeared later, in the early 1840s, and the inscription «Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof» made it a symbol of American freedom.

Engraver John R. Sinnock placed this very bell, with a small eagle to its right, on the reverse, and a portrait of Benjamin Franklin with the initials JRS on the obverse. Gilroy Roberts engraved the reverse alongside him.

In 1954 all three mints struck the coin: Denver about 25.4 million, Philadelphia about 13.2 million and San Francisco just under 5 million. A year later, in 1955, San Francisco stopped striking coins for circulation.

The silver Franklin half was issued from 1948 to 1963; in a date set of this short type, 1954 is one of the years in which all three mints appear.

The F-VF grade means a circulated coin: from F, with even, pronounced wear yet legible main details and legend, to VF, where the high points are worn but the images and inscriptions remain sharp.

This coin is one of the items in the VPcoins catalogue, which brings together commemorative, circulation and bullion coins from around the world.