1917-S Walking Liberty Half: Obverse Mint Mark Guide
Coin Encyclopedia · 7 min read · Published November 7, 2026
The 1917-S Walking Liberty half is the coin that teaches collectors to look at the mint mark twice — because in 1917 the Mint moved it. Early in the year, the S sat on the obverse, below the motto, where it had been since 1916. Mid-year, the Mint moved it to the reverse, below the eagle, where it stayed for the rest of the series. Both types exist for the 1917-S, and the obverse-mark type is the scarcer of the two.
That single move is the whole story of this coin. It is not a rare date — San Francisco struck Walking Liberty halves in large numbers in 1917 — but it is a variety, and varieties are judged on the detail that defines them. This guide explains how to tell the two types apart, why the Mint moved the mark, and what the obverse-mark type is worth keeping for.
Why the Mint moved the mark in 1917
The mint mark started on the obverse because Weinman put it there — below the motto, on the left side of the design. But the Mint's engravers found it crowded the motto and wore poorly: the mark sat on a busy part of the design, where it was hard to read and easy to lose to wear. In mid-1917 they moved it to the reverse, below the eagle, where it had room and stayed legible.
The move was not announced and not dated — the Mint simply changed the dies as the old ones wore out, so both types were struck in 1917 and both circulated side by side. Collectors later sorted them out by looking at thousands of coins, and the obverse-mark type emerged as the scarcer of the two for the 1917-S, because it was struck for only part of the year before the change.
The two-minute check — obverse or reverse
Turn the coin to the obverse and look below the motto on the left. If there is an S there, you have the obverse-mark type — the scarcer one. If there is no letter on the obverse, turn the coin over: the S will be on the reverse, below the eagle, and you have the reverse-mark type.
The check takes two minutes and a good light, and it is worth doing on every 1917-S you meet — because the two types are often priced as if they were the same coin, and they are not. The obverse-mark type carries a premium in every grade, and the premium grows with condition. A dealer who has not checked is a dealer you can do well with, once you have checked yourself.
Strike and wear — reading a 1917-S honestly
The 1917-S was struck in a year when the Mint was still learning Weinman's design, and the strikes vary: some coins are sharp, with full detail in the gown and the feathers, while others are soft on the high points. A softly struck 1917-S can still be Mint State — the weakness is in the die, not in the coin's history — so judge the surfaces and the lustre before you judge the sharpness.
Wear shows first on Liberty's head, breast, and knee, and on the eagle's breast and wing tips. A 1917-S with honest wear is a common coin; one with full lustre and a sharp strike is the coin to keep. And as with every early Walking Liberty half, cleaning is the enemy: a cleaned 1917-S loses its premium, whatever type it is.
The 1917-S in a set — a variety, not just a date
A Walking Liberty set by date and mint mark needs one 1917-S. A set by variety needs two — the obverse-mark type and the reverse-mark type — and that is where this coin earns its place in a collection. It is the variety that teaches a collector to look past the date, because the date alone does not tell you which coin you hold.
For a collector on a budget, the obverse-mark 1917-S is also a fair target: it is scarcer than the reverse-mark type, but it is not a key date, and a worn example is affordable. Chase the variety first and the grade second — the mint mark is the coin, and the grade is the bonus.
What a 1917-S Walking Liberty Half Obverse mint mark 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 obverse-mint-mark 1917-S yet. The variety is judged first on where its mint mark sits, and only then on grade — an obverse-mark example in any condition is the scarcer of the two 1917-S types.
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 1917-S Walking Liberty Half Obverse mint mark questions, answered
How much is a 1917-S Walking Liberty half dollar worth?
Our guide has not yet researched grade-by-grade estimates for the obverse-mark 1917-S, so the table shows dashes. The obverse-mark type is the scarcer of the two 1917-S types and carries a premium over the reverse-mark type at every grade.
Is the 1917-S 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 1917-S Walking Liberty half?
It depends on the type: on the obverse-mark variety the S sits on the obverse below the motto, and on the reverse-mark variety it sits on the reverse below the eagle. The Mint moved the mark mid-year in 1917.
Which 1917-S type is scarcer — obverse or reverse mint mark?
The obverse-mark type is scarcer, because it was struck only in the first part of 1917 before the Mint moved the mark to the reverse. The reverse-mark type was struck for the rest of the year and is the commoner of the two.
Why did the Mint move the mint mark in 1917?
The mark crowded the motto on the obverse and wore poorly there. Moving it to the reverse, below the eagle, gave it room and kept it legible — and the reverse position stayed for the rest of the series.
Check your 1917-S
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 learning to look past the date — on the 1917-S, the mint mark's position is the coin. This guide is for education — learn the coin first, and get a professional opinion before buying or selling.
