1935 Walking Liberty Half Dollar: Design, History, and Collector Value

To understand numismatic objects, you should focus on some characteristics, but if it's difficult for you to remember everything and navigate the market without assistants, then try to open a website for buying collectible coins → at the same time, open this guide → search and compare items by item.

This way you can perfectly develop your awareness and navigate the market without prompting.

Another simpler option is to scan your coin through the coin scanner online and add money to your collection directly on your phone.

obverse and reverse of the 1935 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

The Legacy of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar

The design by Adolph Weinman was minted from 1916 to 1947 — it contains 90% silver, 10% copper, weighting 12.50 g and with 30.61 mm diameter

As for the design, it has Walking Liberty's right arm extended forward, and in her left hand she holds olive and oak branches, the standard pieces from year to year are with LIBERTY on top, IN GOD WE TRUST on the left, and year on the bottom.

The reverse side is with a classic American eagle, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on top, E PLURIBUS UNUM on the right and HALF DOLLAR on the bottom.

The detailing of the 1935 Liberty Half Dollar design often led to problems with the quality of the coinage throughout the production period, as high relief points subject to rapid wear and often under-minted include Liberty's left knee, the drapery of the mantle over her chest, and the feathers on the eagle's chest.

“Another attractive aspect of this coin is its rich history. President Theodore Roosevelt, the only President who took a real interest in our coinage, appointed Augustus Saint-Gaudens to design wonderful coins. Roosevelt believed that the United States should mint coinage that was the greatest in the world and rival the beauty of the coins of ancient Greece.”
— Ginger Rapsus, journalist, writer and numismatist
Numismatic New

Minting and Varieties of the 1935 Half Dollar

Traditionally, Philadelphia has the largest circulation of 3,003,200, Denver — 1,685,200, and San Francisco — 1,964,000.

obverse and reverse of the 1935-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Coins minted in the mid-1930s often show a weaker or softer impact compared to earlier issues, this one is most evident in the details of the eagle's left arm, head, and plumage.

But the tokens with Full Strike are most appreciated, where all the details are very detailed and clear.

Where is the mint mark on a 1935 Half Dollar? On the left below the eagle on the reverse side.

1935 Half Dollar Value and Market Factors

The basic 1935 Walking Liberty Half Dollar value is calculated by multiplying this weight of silver in a coin by the current market price of silver, as it works with many metals.

The numismatic value, that is, a premium over the 1935 Half Dollar value today of the metal, depends on the degree of preservation of the coin, determined by the Sheldon scale; it is already determined by experienced sellers.

Grade G-4 is when there is wear, but in general everything is readable.

AU-58 specimens have no signs of handling, but there may be signs of wear on the Freedom knee or the eagle's chest.

MS-60s are considered uncirculated, but may have minor contact scratches.

The MS-65 is awarded to coins with full original luster, which have only rare and minor scratches.

Also, do not forget about the possibility of errors, for example, when the center of the token is shifted to the side, or when a mistake was made during production and the design was printed on the wrong metal.

But the most common option is a Double Die, when the devils of the coin are duplicated and thus slightly blurred.

Condition	1935-P	1935-D	1935-S
G-4	$15-$20	$18-$25	$18-$25
VF-20	$20-$30	$30-$50	$30-$50
AU-58	$60-$90	$100-$150	$90-$130
MS-60	$80-$120	$150-$250	$120-$180
MS-65	$250-$400	$500-$800	$400-$650
MS-67	$1,500+	$4,000+	$2,500+

The 1935 Silver Half Dollar value may change from time to time depending on market trends.

obverse and reverse of the 1935-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar

Conclusion

Therefore, before buying, you should focus not only on historical significance, but also on metal and grade. Especially if you like to bargain at auctions, you should be as savvy as possible in order to be able to prove your case and get the maximum benefit.

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