1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value
In the current market, a 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar changes hands for roughly $13.50 at the low end and $132 at the top, and its metal content alone is worth $13.20 as of 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $13.20 |
| Good (G-4) | $13.50 to $18.00 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $13.50 to $18.50 |
| Fine (F-12) | $13.50 to $19.50 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $14.50 to $21.00 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $16.50 to $24.00 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $19.50 to $29.00 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $24.50 to $36.50 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $33.50 to $49.50 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $90.00 to $132 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Today's value of the 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar
At the entry level, well-worn examples bring about $13.50. The same coin in gem uncirculated condition is a $132 coin. Grade is everything: two examples of the 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar can differ in price by an order of magnitude based purely on preservation.
1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar specifications
- Series
- Walking Liberty Half Dollar
- Year
- 1942
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- 47,818,000
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Designer
- Adolph A. Weinman
- Silver content
- 0.36169 troy oz
Mintage figure: US Mint reports (approximate).
Reading a coin with no mint mark
The 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (On the obverse below IN GOD WE TRUST (1916-1917) or on the reverse at lower left near the rim (1917-1947)), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Why the 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar is worth money
A large mintage of 47,818,000 means this issue is common in circulated grades. The interesting money starts in Mint State, where quality, not quantity, sets the price.
Every 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar contains 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver, currently worth $13.20. That intrinsic value is a hard floor under the price: no matter how worn the coin, the silver inside cannot be graded away.
There is history in a 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar as well. Adolph Weinman's Walking Liberty half dollar is so admired that the U.S. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
Summary: the 1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar is valued between $13.50 and $132 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.