Walking Liberty Half Dollar: A Collector’s Value Guide

What are the Walking Liberty Half Dollars Worth?

Modern Walking Liberty coins are usually valued between $10 and $50, most of which is owed to the silver content present in them, while on the flip side, older and rarer coins are valued at prices scaling to more than tens of thousands of dollars. Let’s look at the 1916 Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollar, which commands almost thousands of dollars when preserved in great condition.

Coins like the 1919-D Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollar, when found in Mint condition, are so scarce that they have fetched between a mammoth $50,000 and $180,500 in notable auctions, especially when they’re rare.

The Walking Liberty Half Dollars’s value depends on factors such as its rarity and condition. There are other elements, such as the unique mint marks or minting errors, that add value to these coins as well. Silver Walking Liberty coins found in the best condition between 1916 and 1933 are the rarest and considered quite valuable.

However, it does not indicate that if you possess a coin minted after 1933; on the contrary, they can get you hundreds of dollars or more depending on its condition or minting errors like double strikes or off-center strikes, which are valued even more than a simple older coin.

History of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar

The Walking Liberty Half Dollar, also known as “Walkers” by numismatics, minted between 1916 and 1947, was quite popular among the masses for its design and the fact that it consists of 90% silver. The Walkers notably replaced the Liberty Head Half Dollar. Robert W.Woolley, who was the new US Mint Director in the year 1915, had the notion that he was obligated by law to change the coin’s design after it had been circulated for more than 25 years and looked to replace the Barber series.

The Commission of Fine Arts was enlisted by the US Mint to create a new design for the coin series, similar to the initiative undertaken by the preceding US Mint Director. For this new design, Wooley organized a contest. A prominent American sculptor and engraver, Adolph A. Weinman, won this competition and designed not just the Walking Liberty Half Dollar but went on to design the popular Mercury Dime as well.

TRIVIA: The winning design was the first new image designed on the half dollars struck in the 20th century!

Walking Liberty Half Dollar Types and Variants

The Walking Liberty Half Dollars were struck by different mints between 1916 to 1947. Mintmarks are engraved on these coins, which are useful in identifying which mints they were struck in and understanding what they can be valued at.

We have briefly explained the variants that determine the Walking Liberty half dollar value -

San Francisco was pivotal in producing Walking Liberty Half Dollars, more so because of their mintage at a time when the demand for it was quite high. The coins belonging to this variety have the letter “S” engraved on their reverse, which is placed near the front leg of the eagle featured on the coin.

The mintage saw over a million coins produced through the years; however, the earliest editions from 1916, 1920, and 1921 are the rarest and, if found in mint condition, often command massive prices.

---

The Denver mint did not strike as many Walking Liberty Half Dollars as the San Francisco mint, which still amasses around 87 million coins. The “D” Mintmark is placed on the reverse.

The 1921 editions of the D-variety are quite rare and considered one of the most valuable coins in the series.

---

The Philadelphia Mint struck over 264 million Walking Liberty Half Dollar coins, which easily makes it the mint with the highest mintage numbers. However, there is no mintmark, which is often a staple feature of the mint. As the Philadelphia Mint produced a large number of coins, they are available quite easily; however, the editions minted before the 1930s are scarce and are considered quite valuable.

Key Dates of the Walking Liberty Half-Dollar Series

The Walking Liberty half dollar value can be influenced by key factors like special dates, which can add great value to the coins. Here are some of the most sought-after coins of the series-

The 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar is given high regard as it was the first coin edition struck in the series. It was produced in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco, of which the 1916-S version is the rarest, having a total number of just 508,000 coins minted through the years. The coin marked a shift from the Barber design and portrayed a modern look for the US half dollar.

Recent Auction Price: A 1916 S-coin graded with MS65 sold for $8400 at Heritage Auctions in January 2023.

The Denver Mint produced the Walking Liberty Half Dollars in 1971 with their mintmark engraved on the obverse as well as the reverse side. The mid-year change garnered a lot of interest from collectors, with the obverse-marked coins considered quite valuable due to their rarity.

Recent Auction Prices:

A 1917-D Obverse Mint Mark coin graded MS65 sold for $5,520 in August 2020.

A 1917-D Reverse Mint Mark coin graded MS64 sold for $3,840 in September 2020.

The 1921 coins are one of the rarest of the series, especially when equipped with higher grades. The economic setback suffered due to World War I resulted in low mintage numbers, which makes the 1921 and 1921-D variations quite scarce.

Recent Auction Prices:

1921 MS64+ graded coin sold for $15,600 in January 2022.

1921-D MS64+ graded coin sold for $27,600 in June 2021.

The 1938-D Walking Liberty Half Dollars stand out for its exclusivity as the mintage numbers were only 491,600, which is the lowest since 1921. The scarcity of these variations makes it quite desirable among coin collectors. Minted during the Great Depression reflected a period where only a few half dollars were required for circulation.

Recent Auction Prices: A 1938-D coin graded MS67+ sold for $44,400 at a Heritage Auctions event in September 2020; though prices for this coin can vary widely based on market trends and condition.

These key dates show what factors can have a profound impact on your Walking Liberty Half Dollar’s value, which belongs to a coin series that is pursued by numismatics to acquire for their collection.

Conditions Affecting Walking Liberty Half Dollar

If the coin you possess is worn and looks quite similar to the coin shown on the left side of the image, it is regarded as a circulated coin.

If the coin you possess looks quite similar to the coin shown on the right side of the image and has no signs of ever being in circulation, it will be regarded as an uncirculated coin.

You should carefully examine and avoid falling for coins that have been cleaned and polished thoroughly so that they come across as uncirculated. You should check for finer details on the reverse, like the eagle’s design. If you find it smoothened, it has likely been cleaned recently.