Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value: See How Much Walking Liberty Half Dollars From 1916 To 1947 Are Worth

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Wondering what the value of a Walking Liberty half dollar is today?

A lot of coin collectors ask me what their Walking Liberty half dollars are worth.

And why not?… They’re among the most beautiful silver coins the United States has ever produced. So surely they’re worth a lot of money, right?

So what are these silver half dollars worth? And are any of them rare?

Here’s everything you want to know about Walking Liberty half dollar values…

How Much Is A Walking Liberty Half Dollar Worth?

First things first, a Walking Liberty half dollar is always worth at least its spot silver value or 50-cent face value — whichever is higher. (Spot value is simply the amount of money the silver in the coin is worth.)

So, let’s say silver is worth $69.18 per ounce. A Walking Liberty half dollar coin contains roughly 0.36169 ounces of pure silver. Doing the math ($69.18 x 0.36169) you’ll see that comes to about $25.02 of silver.

Unless silver prices absolutely tanked (not impossible, but very unlikely), your Walking Liberty half dollar will never be worth “just” 50 cents.

Many Walking Liberty half dollars that are common dates (virtually all made since 1934, with the exception of the 1938-D Walking half dollar… more on that in a minute) are worth only their silver value if they’re well worn.

But a Walking Liberty half dollar that’s been well preserved is certainly worth more than just its silver value alone. It has what we coin collectors call a “numismatic premium” — value due to the scarcity or collector interest in the coin.

However, with the exception of rare Walking Liberty half dollars, most of the post-1933 Walking halves are only worth a significant amount of money above silver spot value if they have very little wear or no wear at all.

Here’s a breakdown on the Walking Liberty half dollar value:

• 1916 to 1921 Walking Liberty half dollar — $50 to $200+
• 1923 to 1933 Walking Liberty half dollar — $40 to $75+
• 1934 to 1947 Walking Liberty half dollar — $20 to $30+

*Values are for Walking Liberty halves that exhibit average to little wear and have not been cleaned, have holes, or show other signs of damage.

And no… I didn’t accidentally omit a 1922 Walking Liberty half dollar from the list above. There weren’t any half dollars made that year — or during a few other years in the 1920s and 1930s, either.

Are Walking Liberty Half Dollars Rare?

Yes and no… Yes, some Walking Liberty half dollars are rare. But no, they are not rare in general.

In fact, most of the Walking Liberty half dollar coins you’re likely to find are quite common in the absolute sense.

You’ll probably never stumble upon a Walking Liberty half dollar in pocket change. And they’re challenging for half dollar roll searchers to find, too.

While millions of Walking Liberty halves still exist — virtually all of them are now in the possession of coin collectors, silver bullion investors, and those who have inherited them from loved ones.

It may surprise you to find out that most Walking Liberty half dollars are not rare at all, except for some examples that are in uncirculated (aka “mint”) condition.

For example, some of the early mintmarked Walking Liberty half dollars are key dates to the series and demand substantial premiums — even in worn grades. There are a few select dates that hobbyists consider rare, and a good half dozen or so that are regarded as semi-key dates (or just scarce) issues.

Rare Walking Liberty Half Dollar Values

Here’s a list of the rare Walking Liberty half dollars (as well as other scarce dates) and how much they’re worth:

• 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $50+
• 1916-D Obverse Mintmark Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $50+
• 1916-S Obverse Mintmark Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $100+
• 1917-D Obverse Mintmark Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $65+
• 1917-S Obverse Mintmark Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $65+
• 1919 Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $40+
• 1919-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $50+
• 1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $150+
• 1921-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $225+
• 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $75+
• 1938-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $75+ 
• 1946 Doubled Die Walking Liberty Half Dollar — $35+

*Values are retail values for problem-free coins in Good or better condition. Coins that have been cleaned, contain holes, are otherwise damaged, or grade lower than Good will be worth considerably less.

Other Walking Liberty Half Dollar Values

In general, common-date Walking Liberty half dollars that are well worn are largely considered junk silver.

While there’s nothing junky about Walking Liberty half dollars, the common pieces that are very worn have more of a market for their silver than for their collectibility. (Though many coin collectors do assemble low-grade sets of Walking Liberty half dollars!)

The value of these common, well-worn Walking Liberty half dollars rises and falls with the current silver market value.

The value of Walking Liberty half dollars in high grades is more dependent on the numismatic market.

Any Walking Liberty half dollar in the grades of XF to AU shows off much of the detailed beauty of the design and is worth hanging onto. Such pieces retail for $25 to $50 (even for common dates) and look great in any coin collection.

Uncirculated Walking Liberty half dollars are exquisite coins to own and can be bought for as little as $60.

However, be warned that if you’re trying to assemble a complete collection of Walking Liberty half dollars in uncirculated grades… you’re in for a long ride! Many of the early dates are extremely hard to find in desirable uncirculated grades.

Obverse vs. Reverse Mintmarks

You’ll notice in the values listed above that there’s an obverse mintmark on some Walking Liberty half dollars, and there’s a reverse mintmark on other Walking Liberty half dollars.

Wondering how to tell an obverse mintmark from a reverse mintmark Walking Liberty coin?

Here’s how:

• Obverse mintmarks (“D” for Denver or “S” for San Francisco) appear under IN GOD WE TRUST.
• Reverse mintmarks are found to the upper left of the “H” in HALF DOLLAR, near the lower-left rim.

No mintmark? Your coin was made at the Philadelphia Mint.

For Your Walking Liberty Half Dollar Collection…

By the way, Walking Liberty half dollar is the most common name used by collectors and coin dealers today. Liberty Walking half dollar is the phrasing traditionally used in official U.S. Mint records and major grading guides, like the Red Book.

Here are some coin folders, coin albums, and a helpful price guide / resource book for your Walking Liberty half dollar collection:

READ NEXT: Tips For Collecting Walking Liberty Half Dollars