Values
A Walking Liberty half’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. Melt is a different conversation. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
PCGS CoinFacts does not name a traditional key date in this series. It says there are no extreme rarities and calls 1919 and 1921 scarce. This is a name list, not a price list. There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason.
No key-date list is printed here yet.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts. This is a name list, not a price list.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra invented rows.
1917 Obverse versus Reverse mintmark. Those stay separate rows. 1917-D Obverse is the Wikipedia count. It is a placement change, not an error.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Walking Liberty page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
The design does not change after the mint mark moves. NGC prints the 1917 listings separately, and this page keeps that split. There is no second portrait.
- 1916 obverse mint markThe first year carries the mint mark on the obverse, below IN GOD WE TRUST, when the coin is not from Philadelphia.
- 1917 obverse mint markEarly 1917 coins still have the mint mark on the obverse. NGC lists that placement on its own.
- 1917 reverse mint markLater 1917 coins, and the dates after that, put the mint mark on the reverse. That is a location change, not a new design.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Walking Liberty halves were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco from 1916 through 1947, with gaps. NGC Coin Explorer figures stay as printed. The holes NGC left blank, including 1921 and 1921-D, are Wikipedia business strikes retrieved 2026-10-06.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | P | 608,000 | 16566 | $65 | $215 | $1,150 |
| 1916 | D | 1,014,400 | 16567 | $70 | $215 | $1,050 |
| 1916 | S | 508,000 | 16568 | $130 | $700 | $3,950 |
| 1917 | P | 12,292,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1917 | D Obverse | 765,400 | — | — | — | — |
| 1917 | D Reverse | 1,940,000 | 16571 | $35 | $250 | $2,100 |
| 1917 | S Obverse | 952,000 | 16572 | $60 | $650 | $5,500 |
| 1917 | S Reverse | 5,554,000 | 16573 | $35 | $100 | $1,950 |
| 1918 | P | 6,634,000 | 16574 | $28.50 | $115 | $1,200 |
| 1918 | D | 3,853,040 | 16575 | $28.50 | $200 | $3,000 |
| 1918 | S | 10,282,000 | 16576 | $28.50 | $80 | $1,850 |
| 1919 | P | 962,000 | 16577 | $40 | $450 | $4,100 |
| 1919 | D | 1,165,000 | 16578 | $50 | $600 | $12,750 |
| 1919 | S | 1,552,000 | 16579 | $35 | $475 | $9,500 |
| 1920 | P | 6,372,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | D | 1,551,000 | 16581 | $30 | $450 | $6,500 |
| 1920 | S | 4,624,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1921 | P | 246,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1921 | D | 208,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1921 | S | 548,000 | 16585 | $90 | $1,250 | $37,500 |
| 1923 | S | 2,178,000 | 16586 | $30 | $335 | $4,250 |
| 1927 | S | 2,392,000 | 16587 | $28.50 | $155 | $2,650 |
| 1928 | S | 1,940,000 | 16588 | $28.50 | $175 | $3,375 |
| 1929 | D | 1,001,200 | 16589 | $28.50 | $80 | $975 |
| 1929 | S | 1,902,000 | 16590 | $28.50 | $100 | $1,250 |
| 1933 | S | 1,786,000 | 16591 | $28.50 | $65 | $1,500 |
| 1934 | P | 6,964,000 | 16592 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $120 |
| 1934 | D | 2,361,400 | — | — | — | — |
| 1934 | S | 3,652,000 | 16594 | $28.50 | $35 | $900 |
| 1935 | P | 9,162,000 | 16595 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1935 | D | 3,003,800 | 16596 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $300 |
| 1935 | S | 3,854,000 | 16597 | $28.50 | $35 | $550 |
| 1936 | P | 12,614,000 | 16598 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1936 | D | 4,252,400 | 16599 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $130 |
| 1936 | S | 3,884,000 | 16600 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $250 |
| 1937 | P | 9,522,000 | 16601 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1937 | D | 1,676,000 | 16602 | $28.50 | $35 | $285 |
| 1937 | S | 2,090,000 | 16603 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $260 |
| 1938 | P | 4,110,000 | 16604 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $150 |
| 1938 | D | 491,600 | 16605 | $50 | $125 | $715 |
| 1939 | P | 6,812,000 | 16606 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1939 | D | 4,267,800 | 16607 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1939 | S | 2,552,000 | 16608 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $190 |
| 1940 | P | 9,156,000 | 16609 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1940 | S | 4,550,000 | 16610 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $115 |
| 1941 | P | 24,192,000 | 16611 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $55 |
| 1941 | D | 11,248,400 | 16612 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1941 | S | 8,098,000 | 16613 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $120 |
| 1942 | P | 47,839,120 | — | — | — | — |
| 1942 | D | 10,973,800 | 16615 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1942 | S | 12,708,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1943 | P | 53,190,000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1943 | D | 11,346,000 | 16619 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1943 | S | 13,450,000 | 16620 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $80 |
| 1944 | P | 28,206,000 | 16621 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $55 |
| 1944 | D | 9,769,000 | 16622 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $55 |
| 1944 | S | 8,904,000 | 16623 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $65 |
| 1945 | P | 31,502,000 | 16624 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $55 |
| 1945 | D | 9,966,800 | 16625 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $55 |
| 1945 | S | 10,156,000 | 16626 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $60 |
| 1946 | P | 12,118,000 | 16627 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $60 |
| 1946 | D | 2,151,000 | 16628 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $55 |
| 1946 | S | 3,724,000 | 16629 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $60 |
| 1947 | P | 4,094,000 | 16630 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $70 |
| 1947 | D | 3,900,600 | 16631 | $28.50 | $32.50 | $65 |
Mintage: NGC Coin Explorer, retrieved 2026-08-23. A blank year in the prose is a year NGC did not print. These are Explorer manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts. Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID.
1917 Obverse and Reverse mintmark listings stay separate. Business strikes NGC left blank, including 1921 and 1921-D, are the Wikipedia Walking Liberty figures, retrieved 2026-10-06. CoinFacts does not name a traditional key, so those low mintages are not bold. Guide cells retrieved 2026-08-23.
These are manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. 1921 and 1921-D are scarce. They are not bold, because CoinFacts does not name a traditional key.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Thickness | 2.15 mm |
| Weight | 12.5 g |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.36169 troy oz. Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Adolph A. Weinman |
Thickness 2.15 mm, weight 12.5 g, and diameter 30.6 mm are the Numista Walking Liberty type page (N#4455). The circulating half-dollar program is also on the U.S. Mint half-dollar page. Fine silver is the same 0.36169 troy oz the melt calculator uses for a 90 percent half.
Grading
A Walking Liberty half wears first on Liberty’s head and hand, and on the eagle’s breast. The skirt lines go next.
1917 Obverse versus Reverse mintmark is a placement change, not a grade. CoinFacts does not name a traditional key in this series.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty’s head and hand | The head, the branch hand, and the high folds of the gown. | Those high points flatten while the sun can still look busy. |
| Eagle’s breast | The feathers on the center of the eagle. | The breast goes slick first. Read the breast, not the story. |
| Skirt lines | The folds down the gown. | The lines flatten with the head. If they are gone, the coin has been in a pocket. |
| Mint mark placement | 1917 Obverse versus Reverse mintmark when the year is 1917. | That is a variety conversation, not a grade. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. PCGS CoinFacts is the catalog page for this series. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set. Guide values on this page came from the NGC Price Guide.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A silver half you can still name if you already know the type.
- Liberty’s head is gone.
- The eagle’s breast is a lump.
- the date may be a shadow. Shine does not raise this.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- Liberty’s head is worn to a blank patch.
- The eagle’s breast is not a conversation yet.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Liberty’s head is flat. The portrait is a head, not a face.
- The eagle’s breast is outlined.
- 1917 mintmark placement is a variety, not a grade.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns away from the high points.
- Some leftover detail sits next to liberty’s head.
- The eagle’s breast starts to hint at itself.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the design. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Liberty’s head is outlined and tired.
- The eagle’s breast shows leftover lines, not a full coat.
- the date should be clear.
VF
Very Fine
The design is doing real work. The high points still decide.
- Leftover detail sits in liberty’s head.
- The eagle’s breast has leftover lines. The center is still the worn spot.
- 1917 mintmark placement is a variety, not a grade.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the coin looks sharp. The high points tell on it.
- Light wear on liberty’s head and the eagle’s breast.
- Those spots go first. A pretty tone does not hide a flat high point.
- 1917 mintmark placement is a variety, not a grade.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the same high points.
- A trace of rub on liberty’s head.
- Luster may still sit in the fields. Rub is still rub.
- 1917 mintmark placement is a variety, not a grade.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the coin looks.
- No rub on liberty’s head or the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- 1917 mintmark placement is a variety, not a grade.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on liberty’s head.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- 1917 mintmark placement is a variety, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean example of the type. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on liberty’s head or the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a date.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Walking Liberty halves exist for part of the run. This page does not invent a PR price grid — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-23 sheet used here. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Walking Liberty half is a United States half dollar struck on Adolph A. Weinman’s design from 1916 through 1947. Collectors mean those 90 percent silver coins. People like them because the walk is easy to show someone across a table. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1916, the same year as the Mercury dime. In 1917 the mint mark moves from the obverse to the reverse. NGC prints those 1917 listings separately, and this chart keeps them separate. Production thins in the early 1920s, then fills in again through 1947. Franklin begins in 1948.
This page will not invent a shop list or a melt story to fill the years between.
Design
Obverse: Liberty walking toward the sunrise, “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the date. Reverse: an eagle, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “HALF DOLLAR.” Look at Liberty’s head, the eagle’s breast, and the skirt lines. Those spots go flat first.
People Also Ask
What years are Walking Liberty halves?
Circulation Walking Liberty halves were struck from 1916 through 1947. There is a gap in the early 1920s. This page is that silver half, not Franklin or Kennedy.
How much is a Walking Liberty half worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. Melt is a different conversation. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
Is a Walking Liberty half 90 percent silver?
Yes. Circulation Walking Liberty halves are 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. That is composition, not a value quote.
What is the key date Walking Liberty half?
PCGS CoinFacts does not name a traditional key date in this series. 1919 and 1921 are discussed as scarce. This page will not invent a key list.
Should I clean a Walking Liberty half before I sell it?
No. Dip, polish, or a kitchen scrub usually cuts the price. Leave the coin as it is and let a dealer tell you what they see.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common 1940s date in a high grade can cost more than a worn early date someone called “Walking Liberty” like that was the whole conversation.
If you inherited a box, do not scrub the date. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio.
For the half that follows this one, read the Franklin half. For the half that came before, read the Barber half.
A Final Word
Walking Liberty halves reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at the head and the breast. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want the next half on this site, the Franklin half is already here.