Lot 205
Various Dates US Silver Half Dollars
Sold October 23, 2025
- Price realized
- $275
Price realized is the winning bid (hammer price) and excludes buyer’s premium.
About this lot
Estimated Value: $250-400
Origin: United States
Denomination: Half Dollars
Year: Various Dates, Earliest 1942 to Latest 1964
Mint: Philadelphia and Denver
Grade: Various Conditions
Metal: 90% silver, 10% copper
Weight: 247.6g total
Additional Description: From 1942 to 1964, the U.S. half dollar underwent a quiet but meaningful evolution, shaped by war, postwar growth, and eventually, national mourning. The series begins in the midst of World War II, with the final years of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, a coin first introduced in 1916 and widely regarded as one of the most beautiful designs in American numismatics. Designed by Adolph A. Weinman, its obverse features Liberty striding confidently toward the dawn, draped in the flag, while the reverse depicts a powerful eagle perched on a rocky outcrop. These coins, struck in 90% silver through 1947, circulated heavily during wartime and into the early postwar years, their artistry matched by their utility.
In 1948, the Walking Liberty design was replaced by the Franklin Half Dollar, designed by John R. Sinnock. With Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse, this new coin offered a more restrained, modern aesthetic. It reflected a mid-century preference for realism and civic values over classical allegory. Franklin, notably, was the first non-president to appear on a regular U.S. coin, a choice as deliberate as the coin’s plain-spoken design. The series remained largely unchanged through 1963, though collecting interest has long focused on the sharpness of the Liberty Bell’s lower lines—a feature known as Full Bell Lines, prized in high-grade examples.
Lot details
- Lot
- 205
- Closed
- October 23, 2025
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