United States · Half Dollar · 1916–1947
| Country | United States (United States Mint) |
| Denomination | Half Dollar |
| Years struck | 1916–1947 |
| Gross weight | 12.5 g |
| Fine silver (AGW/ASW) | 11.25 g (0.3617 ozt) |
| Composition | 90.0% silver, 10.0% copper |
| Diameter | 30.63 mm |
| Thickness | 1.8 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Adolph A. Weinman |
The Walking Liberty half dollar was struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1947. Each coin contains 0.3617 troy ounces (11.25 g) of silver in a 90% silver, 10% copper alloy. Its obverse design is widely considered one of the most beautiful on any US coin and was revived in 1986 for the American Silver Eagle bullion coin.
| Issue | Mintage | Rarity | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 608,000 | Semi-key | Details |
| 1916-D | 1,014,400 | Semi-key | Details |
| 1916-S | 508,000 | Key date | Details |
| 1917-D OBV · Obverse mint mark | 765,400 | Semi-key | Details |
| 1917-D REV · Reverse mint mark | 1,940,000 | Details | |
| 1917-S OBV · Obverse mint mark | 952,000 | Semi-key | Details |
| 1917-S REV · Reverse mint mark | 5,554,000 | Details | |
| 1921 | 246,000 | Key date | Details |
| 1921-D | 208,000 | Key date | Details |
| 1921-S | 548,000 | Key date | Details |
| 1938-D | 491,600 | Semi-key | Details |
| 1941 | 24,207,412 | Details | |
| 1942 | 47,818,000 | Details | |
| 1943 | 53,190,000 | Details | |
| 1944 | 28,206,000 | Details | |
| 1945 | 31,502,000 | Details | |
| 1946 | 12,118,000 | Details | |
| 1947 | 4,094,000 | Details | |
| 1947-D | 3,900,600 | Details |
Commissioned as part of the 1916 redesign that replaced the Barber coinage, the series was struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Production was intermittent through the lean 1920s and early 1930s, then continuous from 1934 through 1947, after which the design was replaced by the Franklin half dollar. Wartime issues of the early 1940s were struck in enormous quantities and remain the most affordable dates.
The obverse depicts Liberty striding toward the rising sun, draped in the American flag and carrying branches of laurel and oak. The reverse shows an eagle perched on a mountain pine sapling. In 1916 and part of 1917 the mint mark appeared on the obverse below IN GOD WE TRUST; mid-1917 it moved to the reverse at the lower left — so 1917 branch-mint coins exist with both placements, collected as distinct varieties.