Franklin Mint

Franklin Mint Header

The Franklin Mint is a private mint that was founded in 1964 with the express purpose of producing collectible coins and medals. The company was formed by businessman Joseph Segel in Wawa, Pennsylvania. Segel, who had already founded a number of successful printing and advertising businesses, was inspired to enter the industry of minting and selling collectible coins after witnessing a run on government-issued silver coins in the early 1960s. Segel recruited Gilroy Roberts, chief engraver of the U.S. mint at the time, to form General Numismatics Corporation. GNC would change its name to become The Franklin Mint the following year.

The Franklin Mint soon went on to expand its offerings and products to include different types of collectibles such as dolls, plates, vinyl record sets, die-cast models, knives and more. These collectibles typically featured celebrities of the day, historical figures, or commemorated special events. Sales of the company’s items were driven by ubiquitous advertising in magazines and on television.

Starting with a sale of the company to Warner Communications in 1980, The Franklin Mint passed through a number of different owners during the ensuing decades. Over time the company was scaled down and it has since to mint original coins as it did during the heyday. The brand name is currently owned by a private equity firm, Sequential Brands Group.

Reviews of the Franklin Mint

When it comes to coin collecting the Franklin Mint is sometimes a controversial topic. There exists a small but devoted following of Franklin Mint collector’s who appreciate the beauty of the company’s engraved gold, silver and platinum coins.

However because of the intrinsic artistic value, the Franklin Mint sold its coins, medals and ingots at a high premium over spot prices. The Franklin Mint promoted many of these collections as “limited edition” items, but the mint actually produced thousands of copies of its collectibles at a time. Due to the fluctuation of silver prices over time, many Franklin Mint items trade below the original retail cost. For collectors who value artistic presentation or cultural significance, Franklin Mint coins can be obtained on the secondary market for a slight premium over actual bullion value. For those purely interested in the investment value of precious metals, products from The Franklin Mint are probably not the best choice for them.

Mint Locations

The Franklin Mint was based in Wawa, PA. Its former headquarters building is located near the intersection of US-1 and Valley Road. Below is an image of the now empty The Franklin Mint Museum which is located next door.

franklin-mint-museum-wawa-pa

In 2013, New York City-based Sequential Brands Group acquired the rights to The Franklin Mint brand name.

Franklin Mint’s Claim to Fame

The Franklin Mint is known by collectors and non-collectors alike due to its heavy rotation of television commercials. One of its all time best sellers was its “Coin Sets of All Nations” series featuring proofs, coins and postage stamps from countries across the globe. Following the retirement of Segal in 1973, the independent mint would go on to expand its operations to produce legal-tender coins for several different nations through out Latin America, the West Indies, Africa, Asia and the South Pacific.