The intrinsic price of a selected United States half greenback, minted between 1948 and 1963 and bearing the likeness of Benjamin Franklin, is tied to the fluctuating worth of the dear steel it incorporates. These cash are composed of 90% silver, and the worth is primarily decided by the present market charge for that steel, factoring within the coin’s weight and purity. As an illustration, if the spot worth of silver is $25 per ounce, the inherent silver worth of the coin can be a proportion of that, calculated after accounting for its silver content material and weight.
Understanding the inherent steel content material’s price presents a number of advantages. It permits collectors and buyers to evaluate a good worth for the coin, differentiating it from any numismatic premium primarily based on rarity, situation, or historic significance. This valuation additionally supplies a baseline for understanding the coin’s potential as a retailer of worth, notably throughout instances of financial uncertainty. Traditionally, these cash represented a tangible type of wealth, straight linked to a globally acknowledged valuable steel.