How Much is a 1944 Liberty Half Dollar Worth (Price Chart)

Most collectors believe that the half-dollar Walking Liberty is the most attractive and popular silver coin the US Mint ever struck. It is an excellent option for collectors who appreciate its historical significance and investors who trade precious metals.

While the 1944 Half dollar value is relatively low, particularly for low-grade pieces, those in excellent condition are pretty expensive. You can find three coin types minted during the last war year, those without the mint mark and specimens with S or D mint mark on the reverse. Let’s see.

1944 Half-dollar Walking Liberty History

The Liberty Walking (Walking Liberty) half dollar was a creation of sculptor Adolph Weinman that was minted from 1916 to 1947. Since most experts consider it the most beautiful US coin, you can imagine that the series is sought and highly valued.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty

Location Year Minted Price
Philadelphia 1944 28,206,000 $15+
San Francisco 1944 S 8,904,000 $15+
Denver 1944 D 9,769,000 $15+
Total / 46,879,000 /

The 1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty is an astounding coin unique for its size and beautiful imageries on the obverse and reverse. You can see Lady Liberty walking towards the sun on one coin side, while the reverse shows an American bald eagle perching on a mountain top.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty

Face value $0.50 (50 cents)
Compound Silver (90%) and copper (10%)
Coin weight 0.44092 ounces (12.5 g)
Silver weight 0.36169 troy oz (11.25 g)
Coin thickness 0.07086 inches (1.8 mm)
Coin diameter 1.20472 inches (30.6 mm)
Edge Reeded
Shape Round

The word LIBERTY is above Lady’s head, and the date appears below her. The inscription IN GOD WE TRUST is behind her back. The stylish reverse includes the eagle with outstretched wings holding a branch with a small pine sapling growing from it.

The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA inscription and the coin denomination surround it, while the Latin saying E PLURIBUS UNUM is placed on the right. Pieces minted in Denver and San Francisco have small D or S mint marks below the pine sapling.

 

1944 Half Dollar Types 

1944 half dollar value

1944 half dollar value
Image

The Philadelphia mint produced 28,206,000 Walking Liberty silver half dollars in 1944, or almost half of the specimens minted that year. As a result, large quantities of these coins are available nowadays, including those in the mint state.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty value*

Quality 1944 1944 S 1944 D
Good $14 $14 $14
Very good $16 $16 $16
Fine $17 $17 $17
Very fine $19 $19 $19
Extra fine $20 $20 $20
AU $22 $27 $22
MS 60 $39 $44 $44
MS 63 $54 $72 $66

*by USA Coin book 

Depending on the quality, most pieces will cost you $10 to $500, but the rarest and most expensive are a few gem-quality specimens surviving. For instance, the 1944 MS 68 Walking Liberty half dollar is estimated to be $30,000 to $42,000.

1944 S half dollar value

1944 S half dollar value

Precisely 8,904,000 Walking Liberty silver half dollars came from the San Francisco mint in 1944. You can recognize them thanks to the S-mark struck on the coin reverse.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty value*

Year Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1944 $13 $16 $18 $20
1944 S $13 $16 $18 $24
1944 D $13 $16 $18 $20

*by JM Bullion

Remember that this mint is well-known for the soft strike and even coins in the mint state have light scratches at the high points. Although the dies couldn’t smooth out these imperfections, you can effortlessly find pieces in MS 65 grade.

Most 1944 S coins in average condition are worth $10 to $50, while you should pay those in the mint state a few hundred dollars. An exceptionally scarce MS 67 specimen can reach $14,400 to $21,000.

1944 D half dollar value

1944 D half dollar value

Since Denver struck 9,769,000 Walking Liberty silver half dollars, they are not particularly rare on the coin market. However, even pieces in the worst condition will be worth more than their face value, while those in lower grades typically cost $10 to $20.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty value*

Quality 1944 1944 S 1944 D
AU $11 $40 $30
MS 63 $35 $45 $40
MS 64 $70 $75 $80
MS 65 $95 $345 $200
MS 66 $185 $1,150 $375
MS 67 $1,380 $5,750 $865

*by COIN HelpU

You should set aside $50 to $150 for a specimen in the mint state, but the MS 67 piece will cost you at least $600 to $700.

 

Half Dollar Rarities and Key Dates

Half Dollar Rarities and Key Dates

The 1944 S half-dollar Walking Liberty accounts for approximately 17% of all silver halves minted that year, making it relatively scarce.

Some collectors also identified minor DDR variations and re-punched mint marks among these coins, including a rare Trumpet-Tail S RPM.

The famous 1944 D half-dollar Walking Liberty with AW, hand-engraved initials, has broader lettering than a standard coin.

Finally, you can find the 1944 S half-dollar Walking Liberty with the inverted S letter on the reverse. In this case, the letter S is inverted compared to a standard S mint mark, making this piece a rare error.

 

Half-dollar Walking Liberty Set

Half-dollar Walking Liberty Set

Collectors highly appreciate Walking Liberty silver half dollars and enjoy completing this beautiful series. If you have a limited budget but want to have all coins minted from 1916 to 1947, you should look for circulated pieces.

If you prefer coins in the mint state, you can start with a short set. It includes regularly issued coins produced from 1941 to 1947 without proofs, key dates, and rare varieties. These specimens are widely available and affordable.

Collectors with deeper pockets will give their best to complete the entire set, including all proofs, rare pieces, and errors, in the best possible grades.

Keep in mind that the lowest grade is not the worst option in all cases. For instance, an attractive coin of good quality is better than a cleaned piece rating as fine.

There is one more thing! Once you decide to buy any of these coins or the entire series, you should know the difference between the buy price and sell coin value. Only that way can you prevent unpleasant surprises.

 

1944 Half Dollar Grading

1944 Half Dollar Grading

After determining the coin date and mint mark, it is crucial to check its condition. That is what will make the difference between a coin worth several dollars and the one in the mint state with a value of hundreds or even thousand dollars.

Uncirculated – Since this coin didn’t spend a day in circulation, you can expect to see mint luster and intact texture over the entire surface. All images and letters will be perfectly preserved and readable, making such a piece the most valuable and desirable for collectors.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty value*

Year Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1944 $8 $10 $12 $29
1944 S $8 $10 $12 $37
1944 D $8 $10 $12 $39

*by CoinStudy

Extra fine –  After a limited time spent in circulation, this coin won’t have visible signs of wear. However, it is possible to notice slight design loss, mainly on Liberty, by careful observation through a magnifying glass.

There will be also light scratching on the surface and luster loss, but not enough to diminish the beauty of the specimen.

Fine – Such a graded coin spent some time in circulation, and you can notice scratches and traces of use on its surface. The most visible wear out is seen on Liberty’s dress and hand, prominent details are mainly lost, and her figure is smooth.

1944 half-dollar Walking Liberty value*

Quality 1944 1944 S 1944 D
Good $11.5 $11.5 $11.5
Very good $11.5 $11.5 $11.5
Fine $11.5 $11.5 $11.5
Very fine $11.6 to $12.6 $11.6 to $12.6 $11.6 to $12.6
Extra fine $13.3 to $15.7 $14. to $25.9 $14 to $17
AU $18.9 to $32.4 $29.70 to $48.6 $24.3 to $35.6
MS 60 $37.8 to $45.4 $50 to $60 $43.2 to $52
MS 61 $43.2 to $52 $53 to $63 $48. to $58
MS 62 $48.6 to $58 $59 to $71 $61 to $73
MS 63 $59 to $71 $68 to $81 $66 to $78
MS 64 $69 to $83 $101 to $122 $81 to $89
MS 65 $92 to $115 $234 to $269 $92 to $115
MS 66 $136 to $176 $390 to $448 $143 to $176
MS 67 $585 to $673 $14,400 to $21,000 $585 to $673
MS 68 $30,000 to $42,000 / /

*by Greysheet

Good – Unfortunately, once a highly detailed Liberty dress is now only a distinctly flat outline in this coin due to long-lasting use. Her head and leg are smooth and without typical sharpness and elegance. The worst pieces will be scratched, damaged, and sometimes bent.

 

Summary

Half-dollar Walking Liberty is a beautiful and valuable part of American history. Therefore, many collectors want to add them to their collections. Luckily, the entire series is relatively affordable, with only a few pricey varieties.

All three types minted in 1944 are beautiful and affordable, so you should look for pieces in as higher grade as possible.

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