Coin values · 90% silver · 1916–1947
Walking Liberty half dollar value: silver melt value today
The Walking Liberty half dollar (1916–1947) is 90% silver with 0.3617 troy oz in every coin, so even a worn one is worth its melt value. The 1916–1921 issues and the 1938-D are scarce and sell well above melt. At the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver), one coin’s 0.3617 oz of silver was worth $18.00.
Walking Liberty half dollar specifications
| Years struck | 1916–1947 (no regular-issue halves dated 1922, 1924–1926 or 1930–1932) |
|---|---|
| Designer | Adolph A. Weinman |
| Mints | Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D), San Francisco (S) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.50 g |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm, reeded edge |
| Silver content (ASW) | 0.3617 troy oz |
| Face value | 50 cents |
| Melt value | $18.00 at the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver); live value above |
Weights, fineness and mintages come from the primary records listed under Sources; melt is computed from the gold or silver content.
Walking Liberty half dollar melt calculator
Melt = pure metal content × recent spot (silver $49.78/oz). This is the bullion floor; collectible coins can be worth far more. Federal rules restrict melting only 1¢ and 5¢ coins (31 CFR Part 82; 1942–1945 silver war nickels are exempt). This estimates intrinsic value.
What a Walking Liberty half dollar’s silver has been worth since 1968
A Walking Liberty half dollar held about $0.71 of silver in 1968, peaked near $37.32 in 2026, and its metal is worth $18.00 today. That is melt only; a scarce date or high grade can carry a collector premium on top.
Walking Liberty half dollar melt value by decade
Melt of one coin at each decade’s December close. The peak month was Jan 2026 at $37.32; the low was Oct 1971 at $0.47. Melt has been above the $0.50 face value in 703 of 707 months since 1968, and is now about 36 times face.
| Close | Silver price | Melt per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1970 | $1.63 | $0.59 |
| Dec 1980 | $15.50 | $5.61 |
| Dec 1990 | $4.19 | $1.52 |
| Dec 2000 | $4.58 | $1.65 |
| Dec 2010 | $30.63 | $11.08 |
| Dec 2020 | $26.49 | $9.58 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | $49.78 | $18.00 |
Prices: LBMA benchmark history, then Bullion Trading LLC 5 pm ET spot closes (monthly observations).
About the Walking Liberty half dollar
Adolph Weinman’s Liberty strides toward the rising sun wrapped in the flag, carrying laurel and oak branches; the reverse eagle stands on a mountain crag. It was part of the 1916 redesign that also produced Weinman’s Mercury dime and the Standing Liberty quarter.
The obverse came back in 1986 on the American Silver Eagle bullion coin, which still uses it, so the design is better known today than when it circulated.
Mintmark: on the reverse at lower left, under the branch near the rim. On 1916 coins and some 1917 coins it sits on the obverse below IN GOD WE TRUST.
Key dates and mintages
- 1921-D: 208,000 struck, the lowest mintage of the series.
- 1921: 246,000 struck at Philadelphia; 1921-S: 548,000.
- 1938-D: 491,600 struck, the scarcest later date.
- 1916 and 1917 obverse-mintmark coins are collected as separate varieties.
When is a Walking Liberty half dollar worth more than melt?
Common 1940s dates in circulated grades trade near melt. Early dates, the 1921 coins and the 1938-D carry premiums in every grade, and fully struck coins (Liberty’s hand and skirt lines) bring the most; we do not publish collector prices.