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1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Values, Errors, and Rarities

Published: November 29, 2023

The Walking Liberty silver half dollar is considered by many to be the most beautiful US coin. The fact that it is one of the most popular US coins to collect, however, is beyond question. The Walking Liberty design has remained so popular that it was chosen in 1986 as the obverse of America’s first silver bullion coin: the American Silver Eagle.

Walking Liberty half dollars from 1916 through 1933 can be scarce in all grades, with the rare 1919 and 1921 mintages being the top key dates. Mintages from the 1940s are readily found, thanks to the large numbers minted to support the booming wartime economy during WWII. The 1942, 1943, and 1946-D are the three most common Walking Liberty half dollars.

photo of 1942 walking liberty half dollar

1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Graded MS67+ by PCGS

1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Prices

Most Walking Liberty half dollar mintages after 1933 are common in circulated grades. Notable exceptions to this rule are the 1938-D and 1941-S. The most valuable Walking Liberty half dollars are uncirculated coins that earn the highest “Mint State” ratings from certified coin grading services. Mint State (aka uncirculated) coins are graded from MS-60 to MS-70.

DID YOU KNOW?
Coins are graded on a 70-point scale, where 1 is so worn as to be almost unidentifiable, and 70 is perfect, with no damage or blemishes visible even under magnification.

1942-P Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value

With a robust 47,818,000 mintage, the 1942 Walking Liberty half dollar is a common and affordable coin, even in lower uncirculated grades. Unlike the 1942-S from San Francisco, this Philadelphia issue frequently has strong strikes, often with an attractive luster.

1942-P WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR PRICES

Grade	Price
MS-60	$55
MS-61	$62
MS-62	$75
MS-63	$85
MS-64	$115
MS-65	$165
MS-66	$265
MS-67	$725
MS-68	$22,500

MINTAGE: 47,818,000

1942-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value

Even though “only” 10,973,800 1942-D Walking Liberty half dollars were struck, compared to the 47.8 million 1942s, it is only slightly more than the Philadelphia coin until you hit the very highest Mint State grades. It features strong strikes with a bright luster on many coins.

1942-D WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR PRICES

Grade	Price
MS-60	$55
MS-61	$62
MS-62	$75
MS-63	$100
MS-64	$140
MS-65	$200
MS-66	$300
MS-67	$1,000
MS-68	$45,000

MINTAGE: 10,973,800

1942-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value

The 1942-S Walking Liberty half dollar usually has a weak, mushy strike. The rare examples with a strong strike go for a premium. Despite the weak strikes, the 1942-S can often be found with complete or nearly complete luster.

1942-S WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR PRICES

Grade	Price
MS-60	$55
MS-61	$65
MS-62	$75
MS-63	$100
MS-64	$155
MS-65	$350
MS-66	$825
MS-67	$47,500

MINTAGE: 12,708,000

1942 Walking Liberty Proof Half Dollar Value

The 1942 proof Walking Liberty half dollar would be the last proof half dollar until the 1950 proof Franklin half. A mintage of 21,120 coins makes the 1942 the highest Walking Liberty proof mintage. Since proof coinage was suspended due to WWII, collectors snapped as many as they could and kept them safe.

As a result, the surviving population of 1942 proof Walking Liberty half dollars includes a relatively substantial number grading PR-68 in proportion to its total mintage.

1942 PROOF WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR PRICES

Grade	Price
PR-60	$325
PR-61	$350
PR-62	$365
PR-63	$400
PR-64	$500
PR-65	$600
PR-66	$700
PR-67	$1,050
PR-68	$6,750
PR-69	$60,000

MINTAGE: 21,120

Walking Liberty Half Dollar “Short Sets”

The high prices of 1916 to 1933 Walking Liberty half dollars resulted in the invention of the Walking Liberty “Short Sets.” There are two short sets: one from 1934 through 1947, and a “short” short set spanning only the 1941–1947 mintages.

Most Valuable 1942 Walking Liberty Halves: Auction Records and Finest Known

This is a list of the finest-known examples of each 1942 Walking Liberty half dollar mintage. The auction records listed may or may not reflect the highest price ever paid, since person-to-person private sales are not recorded.

The numbers in the PCGS and NGC entries are the number of coins at that grade that each service has graded. The year and auction house are also listed.

1942-P WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR

AUCTION RECORD: $78,000 for MS-68+ (2021, Stack’s Bowers)

FINEST KNOWN: MS-68+ (1, PCGS); MS-68 (13, NGC)

1942-D WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR

AUCTION RECORD: $72,000 for MS-68 (2021, Stack’s Bowers)

FINEST KNOWN: MS-68 (10, PCGS); MS-68 (9, NGC)

1942-S WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR

AUCTION RECORD: $70,500 for MS-67 (2023, Legend Rare Coin Auctions)

FINEST KNOWN: MS-67+ (3, PCGS); MS-67 (29, NGC)

1942 WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR PROOF

AUCTION RECORD: $60,000 for PR-68 (2021, Heritage)

FINEST KNOWN: PR-69 (1, PCGS); PF-69 (8, NGC)

photo of 1942 walking liberty proof coin

1942 Proof Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Graded PR69 by PCGS

1942 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Varieties and Errors

Variety coins are coins that have had something happen to the die before the coin is struck. Common coin varieties include Doubled Die on Reverse (DDR), Doubled Die on Obverse (DDO), and Repunched Mint Mark (RPM.)

The difference between variety coins and error coins is that variety coins result from a mistake on the coin die. Many hundreds or even thousands of coins with the same defect can be minted before the mistake is noticed.

There are several minor varieties of 1942 Walking Liberty half dollars. These include multiple minor 1942 and 1942-S D/D repunched mint marks and 1942 and 1942-S Doubled Die Obverses (DDO).

The one major error coin is the 1942 Doubled Die Reverse (DDR).

photo of 1942 walking liberty half dollar with doubled die reverse variety

1942 DDR Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Graded MS67 by PCGS

1942 DDR WALKING LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR

AUCTION RECORD: $10,800 for MS67+ (2019, Stack’s Bowers)

Grade	Price
MS-60	$225
MS-61	$250
MS-62	$275
MS-63	$325
MS-64	$400
MS-65	$600
MS-66	$2,500
MS-67	$6,500

Error coins are a result of a mechanical malfunction of the coin press or a defect or mistake in the coin blank itself. (Anything that happens to them after they are ejected from the coining press is referred to as “post-mint damage.”)

Common error coins are:

Cuds, where a piece of the die on the rim cracks and breaks off, letting the metal flow through to fill the gap.

Wrong Planchet errors, where the wrong coin blank is fed through the press. One example is a penny struck on a dime press. These errors can sometimes be worth far more than a variety coin.

Off-Center Strikes, where the coin blank is not completely fed into the press before it is stamped. Some off-center strikes can have deformed coin blanks and just a small portion of the coin design present. These drastic errors are popular and can be worth substantial money to the right collector.

Double Strikes, where the coin was not fully ejected from the coin press before the next strike. Double Strikes are the most attractive coin error, and command prices to match.