The Franklin Mint is a private corporation founded in 1964, based in Exton, Pennsylvania, which markets Coins, Jewelry, Diecast (high-precision models), Dolls, Sculpture and other collectibles of its own designs. It was founded by Joseph Segel.
The Franklin Mint Museum, located in Franklin Center, Pa, once part of the Mint's 188-acre headquarters, exhibited collectibles in displays so polished and demure and Windex-sparkly that the museum-quality "value and beauty" of each item was made obvious.
A fake Faberge Egg once adorned the cover of the museum brochure, but the main attraction in those these days was a three-strand faux-pearl necklace that once belonged to Jackie Kennedy. Franklin Mint Vice Chairman Lynda Resnick bought the necklace at auction for $211,500 (pre-auction estimated value: $700), and immediately set about creating "Jackie's Pearls"--fake faux-pearls--once sold for $195 per copy. A large wall display of Camelot-era photographs featuring a faux-pearl-wearing Jackie backed a single tall display stand, the real faux-pearls resting atop . As Resnick said in a prepared statement just after the pearls were purchased, "The people of the world adored Jackie, and now we can make part of Camelot accessible to all who visit our museum."
In another hall, on opposite sides, Gone With The Wind Scarlett O'Hara dolls competed for attention with Wizard of Oz character dolls. In the next rooms, more masculine objects included reproduction Colt 45s and Remington-like eagle sculptures.
Nearby, a large liberty-like bell rotated and images around the rim tpld America's history in thirty seconds. The depressing thing is, American history ends when man landed on the moon.
The Mint also maintaind a rotating gallery, showing off original works by "artists affiliated with The Franklin Mint."
The Gallery Store sold fine jewelry, historic weapon replicas, and personal luxury items in addition to Jackie's Pearls.
In February 2004, The Franklin Mint known the world over for its mass produced "collectibles," closed its museum.
The building still stands as a testament to the museum's wonderful past. It is sitting there waiting for you to take a photograph of it, with your GPS unit in the picture of course, which is the only requirement for logging this geocache.