1916-P 50 Cent Silver Walking Liberty G-VG

First Year of Issue: The Walking Liberty Half Dollar

While the first years of any coin series are hotly collected, the 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar rose to higher prominence with the passage of the centennial of its first release. The Walking Liberty Half Dollar was minted from 1916 to 1947, a period that reflected some of the most tumultuous decades in United States history. The coin also represented one of the first acts of new U.S. Mint Director Robert W. Wooley, who in 1915 requested that the Commission of Fine Arts conduct a competition to find a designer for updated coinage. Adolph Weinman's design was selected, and a new look was approved—one that is considered to be among the most beautiful in U.S. coins. Since 1986, a modification of Weinman’s obverse design has been used for the American Silver Eagle, and the half dollar was issued in gold in 2016 to honor its centennial.

Collectors and dealers have hoarded these century-old coins, making it extremely difficult to gather any in quantity. However, now you can secure the coin that started it all for your silver collection, available in limited numbers at GovMint.

COIN HIGHLIGHTS:

• THE FIRST YEAR OF A THIRTY-PLUS YEAR RUN – This 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in highly pure 90% pure silver, It is a collector favorite, especially given its first-year-of-issue status. It weighs 11.25 grams and is 30.6 mm in diameter.
• A WINNING DESIGN FOR A LASTING LEGACY – With one look at this impressive coin, it’s easy to see why Adolph Weinman’s design was given top honors. On the obverse of the Half Dollar, Lady Liberty, draped in the American flag, strides confidently toward the left side of the coin. She carries branches of laurel and oak, which symbolize both civilian and military honors, and extends her right arm toward the upper left of the coin. Behind her, a mountain and setting sun grace the horizon. Also on the obverse is the national motto, "IN GOD WE TRUST," “LIBERTY,” and the date “1916.” The reverse of the coin was also designed by Weinman, and features a perched eagle atop a mountain, wings partially spread. To the eagle’s left is an olive branch, symbolizing peace. Inscriptions on the reverse include “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “HALF DOLLAR.” Coins from 1916 may feature mint marks on the obverse or on the reverse of the coin.
• A COIN THAT SAW ACTUAL USE – While pristine coins have their place in any collection, coins that saw actual use in commerce carry with them the weight of history, and your 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar is one such piece. Graded in Good to Very Good (G–VG) condition, you can imagine this coin in the pocket of a Roaring Twenties-era sophisticate or a mother struggling through the Great Depression or even a soldier returning from war-torn Europe.
• ADD A CENTURY-OLD COIN TO YOUR COLLECTION – The 1916 Walking Liberty coin gained even more prominence with the release of its commemorative 2016 counterpart and is a must-have for any serious collector of twentieth-century coins.

From 1916 to today, the lasting beauty of Adolph Weinman’s Walking Liberty Half Dollar literally changed the face of US coinage. Now you can add this first-year-of issue coin to your collection, by contacting GovMint.