1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

At the time it was first minted, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar was a hit for a whole host of reasons. First, the coins unique 50-cent denomination made it especially interesting as it changed the way in which people could do business. Secondly, the coin’s larger size made it a spectacle to behold, and allowed enough room for its ornate design.

Nowadays, these coins are especially popular amongst collectors and are only becoming increasingly difficult to find as the years wear on. This is especially true if you are looking for one of these pieces in excellent condition.

Grading the 1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

If you are talking about the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, any collector or prospective buyer will almost assuredly first assess the condition the coin is in. These coins have been around for decades and, thus, have had decades’ worth of opportunities to become worn and damaged. For this reason, you will always see collectors assess the condition of the coin before ever making a purchase.

For most, the no-brainer is to have the coin sent away to a professional company for grading. This sounds fine and good, but being as not everyone has the time and money to send their coins away for grading, we have provided below an outline that helps define the major coin grades and their characteristics.

Uncirculated: If a coin is determined to be Uncirculated, this means that is spent basically no time on the open exchange market. This coin’s imagery and texture will have been completely preserved such that the coin looks as though it were just recently minted. In the eyes of collectors, these are the most attractive pieces, but also the most expensive.

Extremely Fine: A coin that is determined to be Extremely Fine is one that has only spent a minimal amount of time in circulation. These coins will appear to be pristine at first glance, but upon closer inspection you will notice that some light scratching on the surfaces and other small imperfections have been able to surface over the years.

Fine: A coin that is determined to be of Fine grade is one that spent a good amount of time being exchanged, but did not incur a heavy amount of damage during that time. These coins will have a lot of surface wear that will have the coin feeling smoother to the touch, but the imagery and inscriptions will still be able to be made out quite easily with the naked eye.

Good: A coin that is determined to be of Good grade is one that was in circulation from the day it was minted. These coins will have incurred a lot of damage during their time on the open exchange market, and their surfaces will show it. Though in rough shape, these coins are still quite attractive to a whole host of different collectors.

Pricing the 1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

If you are like many others who are trying to determine an accurate asking price for the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, you must look no further than the condition and type of the coin. For one, the type of the coin and its related scarcity changes from year to year, so by taking this into consideration you are halfway done determining a price. The second thing to determine is condition. Naturally, those coins that have been well-preserved are the ones that will sell for the highest prices. Below is a chart aimed at giving you a better idea of what you might be asked to pay for a Walking Liberty given its condition and type.

1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar	$13	$16	$18	$22
1940 Walking Liberty Half Dollar (S)	$13	$16	$18	$35
Source: Red Book