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The Walking Liberty Half Dollar is one of the most beloved coins in Twentieth-Century American coinage. Debuting in 1916, the silver half dollar was struck through 1947, the silver Walking Liberty Half Dollar being one of the final issues that was part of this "Renaissance of American coinage” put into motion by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Issued by the United States Mint, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar has a face value of fifty cents and was designed by Adolf A. Weinman in 1916. The Walking Liberty Half Dollar differs greatly from the Standing Liberty Quarter in design and history, although they were first struck in the same year. The mint director at the time of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar’s minting, Robert W. Woolley, had the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) conduct a design competition to replace the dime, quarter, and half dollar. Ultimately, Weinman's design of Lady Liberty walking towards the sun won, which was the design to replace the Barber Half Dollar.
The design of the Standing Liberty quarter shows Miss Liberty standing with a shield in hand and holding an olive branch. The Walking Liberty design of Miss Liberty depicts her wrapped in an American flag and in stride over a rocky terrain with her hand outstretched towards the rising sun. While both coins show the American Bald Eagle on the reverse, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar features the American bird perched on a rocky outcrop while its silver quarter counterpart shows the eagle flying.
Walking Liberty Half Dollars contain 12.50 grams of .900 fine silver and .100 fine copper for a total net weight of .36169 ounces of pure silver.
The United States Mint struck Walking Liberty Half Dollars at three facilities: the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. Interestingly enough, only Denver and San Francisco Mints struck their half dollars with their respective mint marks (“D” or “S”), while issues struck at the Philadelphia Mint are distinguished by their lack of a mint mark.
From 1916 to 1917, the mint mark on a Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollar can be found on the obverse, just below the motto “In God We Trust.” However, from mid-1917 to 1947, the mint mark is located on the reverse in the bottom left portion, underneath the olive branch. Therefore, Walking Liberty Half Dollar coins could have a mint mark in two different locations depending upon the year of issue. Production continued at all three minting facilities all the way through 1921. From 1922 until 1933, however, the mint struck half dollars sporadically before continuous minting was continued all the way through 1947.
While there is no particular year that designates a “rare” Walking Liberty Half Dollar, most issues before 1934 are scarce, particularly the issues of 1919 and 1921. Below is a list of some of the most valuable certified Walking Liberty half dollars to sell at auction that we know of:
The Walking Liberty Silver Half Dollar design was from the brilliant designer, Adolph A. Weinman, who was famously known for designing the Mercury Dime, which also debuted in 1916. Mr. Weinman was a student of famed artist and coin designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens, who was responsible for the iconic Double Eagle Twenty Dollar design.
The obverse design is arguably one of the most beautiful images ever struck by the U.S. Mint. Weinman’s design remains familiar to collectors even today, as his depiction of Lady Liberty is found on the obverse design of the wildly popular American Silver Eagle series. The walking Lady Liberty is found striding over rocky terrain with her hand outstretched towards the rising sun. Wrapped in the American Flag, she carries branches of oak and laurel, symbolizing American strength and prosperity, respectively. Inscriptions on the obverse also include the date, the inscriptions of “LIBERTY," and the national motto, "IN GOD WE TRUST."
The reverse of the Walking Liberty coin features the American Bald Eagle on a rocky outcrop with a mountain pine springing from it, representing America's rugged roots. Inscriptions on this face include "HALF DOLLAR," "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM” as well as the initials of Adolph Weinman under the eagle's right-wing.
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