1916 - 1947
The Walking Liberty half dollar
Widely held to be the most beautiful US circulating coin ever struck, which is why its obverse was revived for the American Silver Eagle in 1986. Production was interrupted repeatedly in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Composition
| Years | Alloy | Weight | Silver | At spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916-1947 | 90% silver | 12.50 g | 0.3617 ozt | $24.64 |
The design
Designed by Adolph A. Weinman. The obverse shows Liberty striding toward the sunrise, draped in the flag; the reverse shows a bald eagle perched on a mountain crag. The coin measures 30.6mm across.
Finding the mint mark
Obverse below the motto in 1916 and part of 1917, then reverse at lower left for the rest of the series.
Mint marks matter more than most people expect: the same date from a different mint can be a common coin or a scarce one. What each letter means.
Every date in the series
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928
- 1929
- 1930
- 1931
- 1932
- 1933
- 1934
- 1935
- 1936
- 1937
- 1938
- 1939
- 1940
- 1941
- 1942
- 1943
- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
- 1947
Dashed dates are years when no half dollar was struck.
Weights, finenesses and diameters are Mint specifications set by the Coinage Acts. Silver weight is calculated from them. No mintage figures or catalogue values appear on this site; here is why.