1934 Walking Liberty Half Dollar: History, Design, and Value for Collectors

First of all, it is worth finding out the most basic information about any coin, because the approximate cost will depend on this. 

And if you don't know where to start, try to test your knowledge, find information about your token yourself, write down all possible characteristics — and now scan the piece via the coin scanner online, and compare whether you have correctly identified all the details.

The Walking Liberty Half Dollar — a Symbol of American Freedom

The production was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 1890, allowing the change of design of change coins after 25 years of continuous production — it was issued annually from 1916 to 1947.

The design does not change much compared to its predecessors, there is still a Walking Liberty on the front side, and the unchanged IN GOD WE TRUST motto. The inscription of the year at the bottom, of course, changes from time to time. 

The reverse side, as usual, shows the country of manufacture - the United States and the face value, as well as the eagle as a national symbol.

“To use a trio of examples and make some price comparisons, the 1934 that we just mentioned rings in at about $75 for a piece at the lower end of Mint State - again, a pretty fair price. But if we look at the EF-40 grade, the price drops all the way to $20.
Adding one of the 9.1 million of the 1940s as our third point of comparison, it’s only $35 for the MS-60 and, once again, $15 for an EF-40 specimen.”
— Mark Benvenuto, Numismatist and Professor of Chemistry at the University of Detroit Mercy
Numismatic New

Minting Information and Varieties of the 1934 Half Dollar

Where is the mint mark on a 1934 half dollar? It is located on the reverse to the left of the "HALF DOLLAR".

• from Philadelphia have no mark

• from Denver have the mark "D"

• from San Francisco have the mark "S"

The following errors related to the production process were recorded for the 1934 coin:

1934 Half Dollar Value — What Determines Its Worth

Each copy contains 11.25 grams of pure silver, and based on the current market price of silver, the minimum intrinsic 1934 Walking Liberty Half Dollar value of the coin can be calculated.

The additional cost is paid by collectors and is due to rarity, state of preservation, historical significance and demand.

Cost-Determining Factors

The state of preservation of the coin, classified according to grades from G-4, denoting an extremely worn-out copy with only the contours of the figure preserved, that is, the better the condition of the token, the higher its 1934 Liberty Half Dollar value.

The mint mark indicating the place of minting significantly affects the value in high grades, since coins from Denver and San Francisco had a lower circulation and were more valuable than coins without a mark from Philadelphia.

Full Strike is an additional evaluation criterion for uncirculated Walking Liberty Half Dollar coins, implying a clear manifestation of all the fine lines of the design.

The 1934 Silver Half Dollar value may vary depending on the market conditions.

Conclusion

So, it is worth considering several factors at once when buying ANY coin, that is, you should NOT look only for the most popular year and the most famous series and rather acquire them. Start small and stay ahead of the trends, giving preference to tokens that have an average mintage like 1934 S Walking Liberty Half Dollar, and as many interesting variations as possible.

Related Coin Value Guides

• 1977 Silver Jubilee Coin Value
• American Silver Eagles Coin Value
• 1966 Half Dollar Coin Value
• 1972 Half Dollar Coin Value
• 1923 Silver Dollar Coin Value
• 1971 Kennedy Half Dollar Coin Value