In 1792, the first coinage act was passed by the United States Congress. This act gave authority to the U.S. Mint to produce coins that could be used by the public. Two men were influential in the endeavor to create silver coins and gold coins for the new republic. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin contributed to many of the ideas and research that went into creating the early versions of silver and gold coins. It is only fitting that both influential men have had their portraits placed on U.S. coins and bills. The 1954-D Franklin Half Dollar is one of the coins that has an image of Benjamin Franklin on its obverse side. This unique half dollar comes in proof and bullion versions. Proof coins were minted in sporadic years, and bullion was produced every year from 1948 through 1963. John R. Sinnock designed the half dollar, which is composed of 90% silver and 90% copper, in 1948. It has a diameter of 30.6 mm and weighs about 12.5 grams. A person can tell where these half dollars were created by locating the mint mark on the coin, which is placed above the Liberty Bell on the reverse side. The reverse side also features a small eagle that is placed to the right, and the motto "E Pluribus Unum" is seen at the left side of the image. The top portion of the reverse side has the words "United States of America" and "Half Dollar" near the bottom.The date that this silver coin was minted is placed on the obverse just to the right of the portrait of Franklin. As freedom is a major theme for America, the words "Liberty" and "In God We Trust" are also engraved across the top and bottom of the obverse side. Mintage for the coin is 25,445,580. Two other Franklin half dollars were minted in the same year. The 1954-S has a mintage of 4,993,400 while the 1954 Franklin Half Dollar created in Philadelphia with no mint mark has a mintage of 13,188,203. The 1949-S had 3,744,000 coins struck, and the proof version was not minted that year. The series finally came to an end in 1963 with the striking of the 1963-D coin.Numismatic collectors of Franklin halves will look at the quality of the strike on a coin and how much wear a coin has seen. Another important feature that collectors look for on the Franklin Half Dollar is if the Liberty Bell on the reverse side has full bell lines. The FBL designation indicates that there are complete bell lines on the image with no interruptions. This indicates that the coin had a high-quality strike.Coins such as this half dollar have a place in many coin collectors' portfolios. They can be a fun gift for someone who was born in 1954, or for history lovers with an affinity for Benjamin Franklin. It can be displayed on its own or as a part of a set of similar coins or half dollars from a similar year.