USA ½ dollar Walking Liberty 1916
USA, San Francisco
Rarity
Uncommon
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | ½ dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 142 |
| Mintage | 508,000 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| thickness | 1.8 mm |
| diameter | 30.6 mm |
| weight | 12.5 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Creators:
Adolph Alexander Weinman (WA)
IN GOD WE TRUST
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Bird
Description:
Eagle
Creators:
Adolph Alexander Weinman (WA)
E PLURIBUS UNUM
HALF DOLLAR
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
Like the Denver Mint, San Francisco did not receive its dies for the new half dollar until November 27, 1916. Consumed with the production of coins needed more urgently, it struck just 508,000 1916-S halves by year's end. These were released early the following year. Unlike its Philadelphia Mint cousin, the 1916-S half dollar of comparable mintage was not widely saved in Mint State. Most coin collectors lived in the eastern third of the nation, and only those serious enough about completing their collections bothered to write the San Francisco Mint requesting examples (at that time current coins were obtainable at face value plus postage by writing to each mint). Gems are available at the MS-65 level, but coins grading higher are quite rare. Typically, 1916-S half dollars are the most weakly struck of the three issues, those this problem was then not as severe as it would become in later years. All 1916-S half dollars bear the tiny mintmark used that same year for cents, nickels, dimes and gold coins.Read More
