Adolph A. Weinman's Walking Liberty half dollar combines a confident national figure, a rising sun, and a mountain eagle in one of the most admired American coin designs.
This guide covers 1916–1947 Walking Liberty half dollars, including the 1917 mint-mark-position transition and the cataloged 1942 doubled-die reverse.
Core specifications
- Issue period
- 1916–1947
- Catalog mints
- 3
- Reported catalog mintage
- 485,395,040
- Composition
- 90% Silver - 10% Copper
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
- Weight
- 12.5 g
A new visual language for liberty
Introduced in 1916, Weinman's design replaced Barber's formal portrait with Liberty striding toward the dawn, branches in her arm and the flag moving around her shoulders.
Production at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco included gaps and sharp changes in availability. Mint marks moved from the obverse to the reverse during 1917, creating an important first collecting division.
Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type
Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.
The main portrait and date
Liberty strides left toward a rising sun, carrying laurel and oak branches while the flag flows behind her; the date is below.
Denomination, subject, and mint mark
An eagle stands on a mountain crag beside a pine sapling. The mint mark is on the lower-left obverse for applicable early issues and near the lower-left reverse thereafter.
Where the cataloged coins were made
Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.
- P — Philadelphia: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947; 286,648,400. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
- S — San Francisco: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946; 111,840,000. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- D — Denver: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1929, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947; 86,906,640. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
Representative issues that explain the series
A short set of later dates is approachable; a full date-and-mint set requires planning for 1916–1921 keys and strike-sensitive branch issues.
- 1916 S — 508,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1917 S — 952,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1921 D — 208,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1938 D — 491,600. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences
The current catalog records 1 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.
The issue catalog keeps all 1 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.
Issue catalog
From one type coin to a complete catalog
- One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
- Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
- Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
- Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.
A note on catalog records
This page uses 65 issue records, 1 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.
Sources
- The Evolution of Liberty on U.S. Coins — United States Mint
- Half Dollar Coins — United States Mint
- Walking Liberty Half Dollar category reference — PCGS CoinFacts