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1955 "Bugs Bunny" Franklin Half Dollar

by: beetleman( 1178Feedback score is 1000 to 4,999) Top 1000 Reviewer
317 out of 323 people found this guide helpful.


1955 Philadelphia "Bugs Bunny" or "Detached Nose" Franklin Half Dollar

A die clash resulted in the production of an unusual U.S. Mint error coin.  This error is commonly known as the "Bugs Bunny" Franklin or, as I prefer to call it, the "Detached Nose" Franklin.  In the photographs below, Benjamin Franklin appears to have some teeth protruding from his top lip (note: my photographs are from an authenticated PCGS graded coin).  These extra teeth are what gave this coin the "Bugs Bunny" nickname.  To understand how this error occured, you must examine the coin's reverse.  In particular, note the small eagle, which is required by law to appear on every U.S. minted half dollar (the tiny eagle was actually stuck on the coin's design last minute).  Also important to know, a die clash occurs when two dies strike each other without a planchet (the blank silver coin) in between.  Remember, the reverse die is a mirror image of the coins reverse.  If you take a mirror image of the coin's reverse, rotate it 180 degrees, and place it over the image of Mr. Franklin, you'll note that the eagle's wing tips line up precisely with Ben's Bugs Bunny teeth.  Of course, the die clash produced more than just Franklin's protruding teeth, it left an impression of the Liberty Bell in front of Ben's nose.  This error was easy to see for the U.S. Mint employees (they missed the teeth, or were unable to polish them anyway).  Over polishing of the obverse die, to remove the bell lines, resulted in an additional error on this coin.  Specifically, by removing the marks in front of Ben's forehead, the bridge of his nose became completely detached from his face.  If you'll check, in a normal Franklin half dollar, you'll find a very strong line connecting the forehead to the bridge of Ben's nose.  In the 1955 "Detached Nose" Franklin, that line has been completely polished away.  Please take a moment to vote at the end of this guide.  Votes are counted by ebay and I am ranked against other contributors.  I appreciate your vote very much.  Thank you.

                                         


Guide ID: 10000000003587151Guide created: 05/13/07 (updated 10/13/08)

 
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