Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar 1916-47 Coin Facts Images

For the obverse of his design, Weinman chose a full-length figure of Liberty striding toward the dawn of a new day, clad in the Stars and Stripes and carrying branches of laurel and oak symbolizing civil and military glory. The reverse depicts a majestic eagle perched on a mountain crag, wings unfolded in a pose suggesting power, with a sapling of mountain pine-symbolic of America-springing from a rift in the rock. These strongly patriotic themes resonated perfectly across a nation then preparing to enter World War I, ironically against the land of Weinman's birth. Weinman placed his initials (AW) directly under the eagle's tailfeathers.

First-year coins from the branch mints in Denver and San Francisco carry the "D" or "S" mint mark on the obverse, below IN GOD WE TRUST, as do some pieces minted the following year. Partway through production in 1917, the mint marks' location was moved to the lower left of the reverse, just below the sapling, and that's where it remained until the series ended in 1947.

Over 485 million Walking Liberty halves were made between 1916 and 1947, but they were issued only sporadically during the 1920s and early '30s, none being minted in 1922, 1924-26 and 1930-32.

Mintages were particularly low in 1921, and the P, D and S half dollars from that year all rank among the major keys of the series. Other scarce issues include the 1916, 1916-S, 1917-D and S (with the mint marks on the obverse) and 1938-D. Brilliant proofs were minted from 1936 to 1942, totaling 74,400 pieces, and a very few satin-finish proofs were struck in 1916 and '17.

Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Designer: Adolph Alexander Weinman

Diameter: 30 millimeters

Metal content:

Silver - 90%

Copper - 10%

Weight: 193 grains (12.5 grams)

Edge: Reeded

Mint mark: None (for Philadelphia, PA) below the R of TRUST on the obverse

Cherry Picker's List:

Key Dates:

1916

1916-D

1916-S

1917-D Obverse mint mark

1917-S Obverse mint mark

1919-P

1919-D

1919-S

1921-P

1921-D

1921-S

1938-D

Key Date Walking Liberty

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Brilliant Uncirculated Walkers

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WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLARS (1916-1947)

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Mint mark location except some 1916 and 1917 dates is on the obverse.

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