RAY HERZ AND THE FRANKLIN MINT

Personal Perspective on the Franklin Mint
By Ray Herz, Jacksonville, FL

I'd like to put in my personal view of the Franklin Mint as a very early collector and charter member of the FM Collector's Society.

Many of the recent write-ups failed to mention that Ex-US Mint Chief Sculptor-Engraver Gilroy Roberts Partnered with Joe Segel to co-found the Mint. Roberts retired from the US mint very shortly after the release of the Kennedy Half Dollar. As co-founder and Chief Sculptor he could hire the artistic talent, choose whatever topics he wanted to create (without government restrictions), and assign artists to projects he didn't want a hand in.

My first contact with the Franklin Mint was in the fall of 1967, when I was 13, and I purchased the 3 inch 1968 Calendar Medal. This was my first medal and was like nothing else I had ever seen. The obverse featured Robert's famous FM logo of Ben Franklin. The huge medal was only $4.00. I had a newspaper route at the time and this was about the price of 15 comic books. The comic books wouldn't last forever but the medal has and I still have it.

I never bought a lot from them, the occasional medal and annual coin set. The 1972 Bahama Proof Set still stands out as one of the most beautiful sets of all time. FM's quality was 15-20 years ahead of the US or Canadian mints. They even pioneered a micro-coating in the 1970's that protected proof coins and medals from toning.

In 1970 I became a charter member of the FM Collector's Society. I loved the membership card with the 1 inch gilt silver logo medal. A later treat from the FMCS was the 1971 Apollo 14 mini coin with a little silver that had flown in the Command Module.

In 1971 my family went up north (we've lived in Florida since 1963) for the wedding of a cousin. I was not invited so as a consolation my parents gave me a choice: We could visit the US Mint in Philadelphia or the Franklin Mint in Media, PA. At the age of 17 I figured that the US Mint I would be treated as one of many. Since I was a member of the FMCS I figured that I would get VIP treatment at the Franklin Mint and I did! It was one of the best days of my young life. To the right is a picture of me (with hair) in front of the world's largest medal of all time.

The Franklin Mint, under Gilroy Roberts did some bold experimentation in the early years but by the late 1970's I realized that they would not live up to their potential. Still, for me, since I only bought items occasionally, I never felt that I was burned and I still have fond memories of a great day.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
JOSEPH M. SEGEL (1931-2019) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n52a03.html)
MORE ON JOSEPH SEGEL AND THE FRANKLIN MINT (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n01a11.html)
NOTES FROM E-SYLUM READERS: JANUARY 12, 2020 : The Franklin Mint in Canada (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n02a12.html)

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