1917 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

With the Great War raging in Europe, there was probably no better message to send in 1917 than the notion of freedom and liberty, which is clearly evoked on Walking Liberty half dollars. 1917 Walking Liberty half dollars are popular among both type collectors and date-and-mintmark series collectors, as there were five distinct issues among half dollars that year, which can keep numismatists on their toes. These varieties entail the two positions of the mintmark, which was moved from the obverse (under the motto IN GOD WE TRUST) to the reverse, in the lower-left under the olive branch near the rim.

It is important to remember that all mintmarked 1917 Walking Liberty half dollars are somewhat scarce, particularly in the upper circulated grades and higher; therefore, these pieces will command significant premiums over the 1917 (Philadelphia) Walking Liberty half dollar, which is the most common issue of the bunch for that year.

Check out details on the mintages and values for 1917 Walking Liberty half dollars below:

• 1917, 12,292,000 minted; $10 in Good-4

• 1917-D obverse mintmark, 765,400; $25

• 1917-D reverse mintmark, 1,940,000; $15

• 1917-S obverse mintmark, 952,000; $25

• 1917-S reverse mintmark, 5,554,000; $10

As with all Walking Liberty half dollars, it’s important to seek well-preserved, uncleaned 1917 Walking Liberty halves that are damage free and have good eye appeal. These types of pieces will always perform better in terms of investment and can add tremendous visual value to your coin collection.