The Walking Liberty half dollar was designed by Adolph Weinman in 1916. Over 485 million were minted from 1916 until 1947! The coin was named for the representation of Lady Liberty on the obverse side, holding an olive branch while walking. She is wearing the Stars and Stripes and striding toward the dawn of a new day. On the reverse side, the initials "AW" appear under the eagle's tail feathers to mark the creation of the designer. The bald eagle is in a perched position on a mountain crag about to take flight. The unfolded pose suggests power, while the sapling of mountain pine symbolizes America as she springs forth. The Walking Liberty half dollar was designed and minted as preparations were made to enter World War I, making this coin popular among collectors of WWI memorabilia. This significant half dollar weighs 12.50 grams. It is made of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, resulting in a silver content of 0.36169. In 1916 and 1917, the mint marks were located on the obverse side under the words "In God We Trust." However, the mint mark was moved in the mid-1917s to the reverse side to the upper left of the words "half dollar." This provides an easy benchmark for separating the older and more valuable coins from more recent incarnations. Perhaps the most valuable of the Walking Liberty half dollars is from the 1946-P minting. These coins have a doubled reverse variety, increasing the value tremendously and resulting in faster levels of appreciation. Other valuable dates of the Walking Liberty half dollar for collectors include 1916-S, 1917-S, 1921-P, 1921-D, 1921-S, and 1938-D. The letter following the date indicates the location of the mint--S (San Francisco), D (Denver), and P (Philadelphia). From 1936 to 1942, there were 74,400 brilliant proofs and only a few satin-finish proofs minted. For a coin with an exciting history, the Walking Liberty half dollar is one to collect.
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