History of the Liberty Walking Half Dollar
The Walking Liberty half dollar is a coin issued by The United States Mint from 1916 until 1947 and has a face value of fifty cents. The coin was designed by Adolf A. Weinman and replaced the earlier Barber half dollar that was designed by Charles E. Barber. Mint Director, Robert W. Woolley had the Commission of Fine Arts conduct a design competition to replace the dime, quarter, and half dollar. Weinman’s design of Lady Liberty striding towards the sun on the obverse and an eagle perched on a rock for the reverse won the design competition. The United States Mint struck Liberty Walking half dollars at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints. The mint placed the mint mark for coins minted at Denver (D) and San Francisco (S) on the obverse of the coin just below the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. Approximately halfway through 1917, the mint moved the mintmark to the reverse of the coin in the lower left quadrant. This resulted in two variations for the year 1917. Pay close attention to the mint mark location for these coins. Production continued at all three mints through 1921. From 1922 until 1933, the mint struck half dollars sporadically. After that, the mint continuously made them through 1947 at all three mint facilities. It is quite affordable for an intermediate coin collector to assemble a full date and mintmark set of Walking Liberty half dollars in circulated condition. An advanced coin collector should pursue assembling a full set by date and mintmark in uncirculated condition.
Market Analysis
Walking Liberty half dollars are collected by a substantial number of coin collectors. Therefore, the market is fairly strong if you are selling your coins. But don’t expect to walk into a coin shop with a bag of Walking Liberty fifty-cent pieces and expect the coin dealer dig through them to pull out the valuable ones for you. If you want to get the most amount of money for your Walking Liberty halves, you need to sort, preserve, and protect the coins, so the dealer can quickly see what you have.
Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties
The following Walking Liberty half dollars are worth considerably more (in any condition) than common Walking Liberty halves. As such, these coins may be counterfeit or altered from common Walking Liberty half dollars. Therefore, before you start celebrating your new-found fortune, have the coin authenticated by a reputable coin dealer or third party grading service.
1916-S1917-S Obv. mint mark1919-D19211921-D1921-S
Condition or Grade
If your coin is worn and looks similar to the one illustrated below, it is considered a circulated coin. If your coin looks similar to the one illustrated in the link below and has no evidence of wear due to being in circulation, it is considered an uncirculated coin. Be careful that you do not purchase a coin that has been clean in an effort to make it look uncirculated. Check to make sure that the details on the eagle on the reverse are full and complete. If the eagle is smooth and shiny, it has been cleaned.
Mintmarks
Walking Liberty Half Dollars were produced at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S). As illustrated in the picture links below, 1916 and 1917 dated coins the mint mark is located on the obverse of the coin, lower right just below “In God We Trust.” Coins dated 1917 to 1947; the mintmark is on the reverse of the coin on the lower left just under the branch that the eagle is perched. Please note that some 1917 dated coins have the mint mark on the front and some have it on the back.
Mint Mark Location Obverse 1916 - 1917
In 1916, the mint mark was on the obverse below in God We Trust. At the beginning of 1917, the mint mark remained on the obverse. Halfway through 1917, the mint mark was moved to the reverse. See the example below.
Mint Mark Location Reverse 1917 - 1947
From 1917 until the series was ended in 1947 the mint mark was located on the reverse in the lower left quadrant of the coin. It is just below the sprig of the spruce tree. If there is no mint mark, that indicates the coin was minted at the Philadelphia mint facility.
Walking Liberty Half Dollars Average Prices and Values
The following table lists the buy price (what you can expect to pay to a dealer to purchase the coin) and sells value (what you can expect a dealer to pay you if you sell the coin). The first column lists the date and mint mark (see the photo above) followed by the buy price and the sell value for an average circulated Walking Liberty half dollar. The next two columns list the buy price and the sell value for an average uncirculated. These are approximate retail prices and wholesale values. The actual offer you receive from a particular coin dealer will vary depending on the actual grade of the coin and some other factors that determine its worth.
