The 1950 is not only the first Proof half dollar of this type, but it is also the most challenging to collect. The mintage of 51,386 Proofs is the lowest in this series, and most survivors show considerable evidence of having been poorly made or carelessly handled. According to Rick Tomaska in the 2002 edition of The Complete Guide to Franklin Half Dollars, "Glue spots, the use of overused dies, poor packaging, improper handling, all conspire to make high quality examples of this date extremely scarce or rare."

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the June 2023 Showcase Auction, where it realized $66,000.