1943 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

1943 marked the peak of production for Walking Liberty half dollars, as total mintage figures for the coin approached 80 million that year. To this day, 1943 is one of the most prolific years in any bulk collection of random Walking Liberty half dollars, and halves from that year are readily available for coin collectors. As is the case for most dates from the Walking Liberty halves, there are no significant varieties for collectors of 1943 Walking Liberty half collectors to seek, aside from die breaks and other common malformations.

Here is a breakdown of mintage and value information for 1943 half dollars:

• 1943, 53,190,000 minted; $15

• 1943-D, 11,346,000; $15

• 1943-S, 13,450,000; $15

As you may notice, if you are familiar with Walking Liberty half dollars from previous years that is, that no listing of 1943 proof Walking Liberty halves exists. Why? The U.S. Mint had halted the production of proof coinage beginning in 1943, instead focusing its efforts on making regular-strike coins for circulation during the peak of World War II. Proof coins would not resume in the U.S. until 1950.

Be mindful that 1943 Walking Liberty halves are extremely common, and there is consequently no reason that you absolutely must settle for half dollars of subpar quality. Unless, that is, you’re seeking junk silver for a bullion investment portfolio, you should only buy 1943 half dollars with superior strike and luster, and avoid those that exhibit any signs of damage or discoloration.