1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value (D, S, No Mint Mark & Errors)

Have you found an old 1945 silver half-dollar coin in your change? Keep it safe because this coin is your gateway to fortune! A well-preserved 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar recently sold for a mind-boggling price of $66,000 in an auction. Impressive, right?

While many say the high value is due to silver content, several other factors make this 50-cent coin worth money. Scroll down to find out what these factors are and know if your 1945 half-dollar could bring you big bucks!

1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Design & Physical Characteristics

The first step to assessing the value of an old coin is to verify its design and make. For the 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar, both sides feature distinctive features designed by Adolph A. Weinman and a unique composition decided by the United States Mint.

Verifying these details will also help you distinguish a real silver 1945 half dollar from counterfeits.

1945 Half Dollar Obverse:

• Full-length figure of Liberty walking toward the left (the sunrise)
• Liberty’s right arm is extended forward in a gesture of offering
• Her left arm cradles branches of laurel and oak
• American flag draped over her shoulders
• “LIBERTY” inscribed prominently along the upper rim
• The “IN GOD WE TRUST” motto to the right side of the design
• Date “1945” placed at the lower right edge
• Designer’s initials “AW” (for Adolph Weinman) visible near the hem of Liberty’s gown (though often faint or worn)

1945 Half Dollar Reverse:

• A majestic bald eagle perched on a mountain crag, wings partially unfolded
• A mountain pine sapling sprouting from a rock to the eagle’s right
• “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” inscribed along the upper rim
• The denomination “HALF DOLLAR” along the lower edge
• “E PLURIBUS UNUM” motto positioned to the left of the eagle
• The mint mark D or S on the reverse (bottom left)

Coin Composition, Weight & Size

The 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar was struck in a silver alloy consisting of 90% silver and 10% copper, with other distinctive measurements as given below:

Finding a 1945 Half Dollar Value (3 Key Factors)

On average, the value of a 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar in circulated condition typically ranges from $12-$18, due to its silver melt value. However, the value of well-preserved coins or those with rare errors or mint marks starts from $40-$50 and can reach up to $50,000 or more!

There are several key factors that determine where in this spectrum your 1945 half-dollar coin falls.

1. Coin Grades

The first and most important factor influencing a 1945 half-dollar value is its coin grade, which is a professional measurement of a coin’s condition. The grades range from P-1 (Poor-1) to MS-70 (Mint State-70), with higher grades meaning better condition and preservation.

Naturally, half-dollar coins in better condition and higher grades fetch higher values. For example, a 1945 Philadelphia Half Dollar might be worth around $40 in MS-60 condition but jump to $150-$200 in MS-65 and $500-$1,600 at the exceptional MS-67 grade.

2. 1945 Half Dollar Liberty Mint Marks & Mintage

The 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar was produced at three different U.S. Mint facilities, with each location’s coins bearing a distinctive mint mark. The total mintage across all facilities reached an impressive 51,624,800 coins.

Here’s a breakdown of 1945 silver half dollars from different mints and their values:

1945 Half Dollar No Mint Mark Value (Mintage – 31,502,000)

The Philadelphia-produced half dollars, lacking a mint mark, are the most common variety and generally command the lowest premium. Nonetheless, in exceptionally high grades, like MS68 or above, it can fetch over $50,000. For example, this MS68 example sold for the auction record price of $66,000 on Stack’s Bowers Auctions.

Here are the average values of a 1945 no-mint mark half dollar by grade:

• MS-60: $20-$40
• MS-63: $40-$80
• MS-65: $85-$150
• MS-66: $150-$450
• MS-67: $500-$4,600
• Ms-68: $66,000

1945-S Half Dollar Value (Mintage – 10,156,000)

The San Francisco mint (with the “S” mint mark) produced the second lowest quantity of the 1945 Walking Liberty Half Dollar, slightly more valuable than the no-mint mark coins.

1945-S half dollar coins can range from $4,000 to $20,000 or more in an exceptional MS-67+ grade. The highest value of this coin reached a whopping $60,000 on Stack’s Bowers Auctions!

The average value of a 1945 S Half Dollar by grade is as follows:

• MS-60: $20-$45
• MS-63: $45-$90
• MS-65: $100-$210
• MS-66: $220-$750
• MS-67: $1,500-30,000+
• Ms-68: N/A

1945-D Half Dollar Value (Mintage – 9,966,800)

Denver produced the lowest number of 1945 half-dollar coins (identifiable by the “D” mint mark). However, despite the lowest mintage, the value of 1945-D half dollars is more or less similar to the other varieties, with the highest value reaching $40,800 for an MS-68 example!

This list shows the average value of a 1945 D half-dollar by grade:

• MS-60: $20-$40
• MS-63: $40-$80
• MS-65: $80-$210
• MS-66: $130-$600
• MS-67: $600-$4,800
• Ms-68: $6,000-$40,800+

3. Rare 1945 Half Dollar Errors List

1945 Half dollars with mint errors, fascinating anomalies in the production process, often command premium prices. Here are some noteworthy error varieties to look for:

Struck on 10C Planchet (Uniface Obverse)

One of the most valuable errors occurs when a 1945 half-dollar design is struck on a smaller dime planchet. These rare coins generally show only a portion of the design (often appearing uniface) because the smaller planchet couldn’t accommodate the full image.

The value of these scare error coins typically ranges from $1,500 to $10,000 depending on the condition and how dramatically the error presents. For example, an AU55 specimen realized a whopping $4,560 on Heritage Auctions, an exceptional price for an AU55 coin.

Double Struck, Second Strike 55% Off Center

This error occurs when a 1945 half-dollar coin fails to eject properly after its first strike and receives a second impression significantly (or slightly) offset from the original. The visual drama of two partial images on one coin makes this error coin highly collectible.

For a double-struck coin with a serious off-center impression, values can range from $10,000 to $45,500 depending on the clarity of both strikes and overall condition. An MS63 Double Struck example with 55% off-center once sold on Heritage Auctions for a mind-boggling price of $41,125!

Double Die Error

Double Die error happens when the hub imparts multiple slightly misaligned impressions onto a die. The result is rare coins showing doubled details on either or both sides of letters, numbers, or design elements.

For the 1945 Walking Liberty, the value can range from $100 to $1,000+, depending on the prominence of the doubling and the coin’s grades.

Reverse Struck Thru

“Struck through” errors happen when foreign material (grease, cloth, metal fragments) gets between the die and planchet during striking. On the 1945 half dollar, these often appear as smooth, depressed areas lacking detail.

The value of struck-through examples varies widely based on the size, location, and clarity of the struck-through material, typically ranging from $50 for minor instances to $500+ for dramatic examples.