1943 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

"Lady Liberty, walking towards the sun" was a design that was struck on the US half-dollar coin from 1916 to 1947. The lovely design of this coin is attributed to Adolph A. Weinman, a sculptor who is responsible for the design of many statues in US cities as well as architectural sculpture. He was also the designer of what is often called the "Mercury Dime" (which is actually Lady Liberty wearing a cap with wings, and not the Roman god Mercury).


I think the eagle that is depicted on the reverse (back) of this coin is one of the prettiest representations of the eagle on US coinage. I find the pose of the bird lovely and the detail in the feathers fascinating. To the right of the hyphenated "HALF-DOLLAR" and beneath the tail of the eagle is the monogram "AW" for the engraver and designer.


I am often asked about the value of the coins in my collection, so I will go ahead and say this one is worth $12—$15 as far as "collector value" goes. An uncirculated coin like this would bring $47, however! ^[1] This coin is 90% silver, so its current "melt value" /"spot value" is about USD $13.17, roughly.