1916 Walking Liberty Half: First Year of Weinman's Classic
Coin Encyclopedia · 8 min read · Published November 7, 2026
The 1916 Walking Liberty half is the first year of the most admired design in American coinage — and one of the scarcest first-year coins of the twentieth century. Adolph A. Weinman's Liberty, striding toward the rising sun with the flag draped around her, reached the mints late in 1916, and Philadelphia struck only 608,000 halves before the year ended. Most of them went straight into circulation, and almost none were set aside. A century later, the 1916 is scarce in every grade and genuinely rare in Mint State.
That scarcity is the whole story of the 1916. It is the same design as the common 1940s Walking Liberty halves that fill dealers' boxes, the same silver, the same size — only the date and the mintage differ, and that difference is worth a great deal. This guide explains the first-year check, the mint mark, and what to look for before you pay for a 1916.
A design that arrived late — why so few were struck
Weinman's design won a competition the Mint ran in 1915 to replace the tired Barber coinage, but turning a sculptor's model into working dies took time, and the Walking Liberty half did not reach the presses until late 1916. Philadelphia managed 608,000 coins before the year ran out — a small run by the standards of a half dollar, and a tiny one next to the millions struck in the years that followed.
The late start also meant the coins were struck in a hurry, and the quality varies: some 1916 halves are sharply struck with full detail in Liberty's gown and the eagle's feathers, while others are soft, with the high points weak. A sharp 1916 is the coin collectors want, and it is also the coin that is hardest to find — most of the survivors are worn, and the Mint State examples are few.
The mint mark — on the obverse, below the motto
On the 1916 Walking Liberty half, the mint mark sits on the obverse, below the motto — a small letter under 'IN GOD WE TRUST' on the left side of the coin. Philadelphia struck the 1916 with no mint mark; San Francisco's 1916-S carries an S in that spot. The position matters, because the Mint moved the mint mark to the reverse in mid-1917, and the obverse-mark coins are a distinct group.
The check is simple: turn the coin over to the obverse, find the motto, and look below it. No letter means Philadelphia; an S means San Francisco. Both 1916 issues are scarce, but the Philadelphia coin is the one most collectors meet first — it is the first Walking Liberty half ever struck, and the coin that opens the series.
Why the 1916 is scarce in every grade
A mintage of 608,000 sounds large until you remember what happened to the coins. In 1916 a half dollar was real money, and the 1916 halves were spent — in shops, in pay envelopes, in tills — for years, wearing down a little with every transaction. Nobody set them aside, because nobody in 1916 knew the design would become a classic, and the collectors who might have saved them were few.
The result is a coin that is scarce worn and rare uncirculated. A 1916 in Good condition is already a collector's coin; in Mint State it is a coin that changes hands rarely, and for a serious figure. The grade table below is honest about what our guide has researched so far — the dashes are gaps, not guesses — but the shape of the market is clear from the mintage alone.
What to look for in a 1916 worth keeping
Start with the date: it must read 1916, clearly, with no signs of alteration. The 1916 is not widely faked — the premium is in high grade, and faking wear is hard — but altered dates exist, and a loupe will show tool marks around a changed digit. Then look at the strike: Liberty's gown, the sun's rays, and the eagle's feathers should be as sharp as the coin's grade allows.
Then look at the surfaces. Original mint lustre on a Mint State 1916 is soft and frosty; a cleaned coin looks flat and lifeless, or oddly bright. A 1916 that has been cleaned loses most of its premium, because the premium is paid for originality. If the coin is valuable enough to argue about, it is valuable enough to send to PCGS or NGC.
What a 1916 Walking Liberty Half First year is worth by grade
Our guide has not yet researched grade-by-grade estimates for this date, so every cell below shows “—” rather than a guessed figure. The live system fills these cells the moment research or a newly reported result lands. Figures on this page are reviewed November 5, 2026.
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Good (G-4) | — |
| Fine (F-12) | — |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | — |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | — |
| Mint State 60 (MS-60) | — |
| Mint State 65 (MS-65) | — |
No researched grade figures exist for the 1916 yet. The first year of the design, struck in the hundreds of thousands while Philadelphia made millions, it is scarce in every grade and genuinely rare in Mint State.
Specs and the silver floor
Every Walking Liberty half from 1916 through 1947 is 90% silver. The coin weighs 12.5 grams and carries 0.36169 troy ounces of pure silver. The live metal floor for this coin is $18.83 — it moves with the live silver market, so the figure updates on every load rather than standing still.
Metal floor updates live from our Worker — last updated November 7, 2026.
Adolph A. Weinman's Liberty strides toward the rising sun on the obverse, draped in the American flag, while the reverse carries a perched eagle on a mountain crag. Diameter 30.6 millimetres, reeded edge. In 1916 and early 1917 the mint mark sits on the obverse, below the motto; from mid-1917 it moved to the reverse, below the eagle.
Verified auction records
Our auction data holds no verified historic record for this date yet — no figure here is guessed. The box below checks for newly reported results on every load, so the first verified result for this coin will appear there.
Latest reported results for this coin
Checking for newly reported results…
Your 1916 Walking Liberty Half First year questions, answered
How much is a 1916 Walking Liberty half dollar worth?
Our guide has not yet researched grade-by-grade estimates for the 1916, so the table shows dashes. With a mintage of only 608,000, it is scarce in every grade and genuinely rare in Mint State — the premium grows steeply with condition.
Is the 1916 Walking Liberty half silver?
Yes — it is 90% silver, weighing 12.5 grams with 0.36169 troy ounces of pure silver. The live metal floor for this coin is in the specs section below and moves with the live silver market.
Where is the mint mark on a 1916 Walking Liberty half?
On the 1916 the mint mark sits on the obverse, below the motto on the left side: no mint mark for Philadelphia, S for San Francisco. The Mint moved the mark to the reverse in mid-1917.
How many 1916 Walking Liberty halves were struck?
Philadelphia struck 608,000 Walking Liberty halves in 1916, the first year of the design. The late start — the design reached the presses only in the final months of the year — is why the mintage is so small.
Who designed the Walking Liberty half dollar?
Adolph A. Weinman designed it — Liberty striding toward the rising sun on the obverse, and an eagle perched on a mountain crag on the reverse. The same obverse design was revived for the American Silver Eagle in 1986.
Check your 1916
Run the date and mint mark through the free Coin Value Checker for an instant estimate, or get a Grade-or-Not verdict on whether your coin is worth certifying. The full series guide is here: Walking Liberty Halves Worth $25 to $188,000+.
Written for collectors meeting Weinman's design for the first time — the 1916 is where the series begins, and the hardest date to find. This guide is for education — learn the coin first, and get a professional opinion before buying or selling.
