1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 548,000 made
- Mintage
- 548,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 548,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, at the lower left near the rim, below the pine branch. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1921 are scarcer?
- The 1916-S at 508,000. So the 1921-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar coins were made?
- 548,000.
What to check on your 1921-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1921-D (208,000 made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check Liberty's left hand, the skirt lines over her leg and the eagle's breast. Fully struck hands and heads are unusual.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more. A full strike shows Liberty's left hand and the lines of her skirt clearly. Many dates, especially from branch mints, come weakly struck in those areas.
The story of the 1921-S
Production at San Francisco fell off a cliff in 1921. Only 548,000 were made, against 4.6 million the year before. That drop is why the 1921-S is the one people look for. After that, San Francisco didn't make another until 1923.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1921-D (208,000) and 1921 (246,000). In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1916-S (508,000) and the 1916 (608,000).
Only the 1916-S has a lower mintage among San Francisco's 24 Walking Liberty Half Dollars. Within the 1920s it's 3rd smallest of 11, between the 1921 (246,000) and the 1929-D (1 million).
Soft strikes and scarce postwar dates (1918 to 1929)
Mintages fell after World War I, reaching only 246,000 at Philadelphia, 208,000 at Denver and 548,000 at San Francisco in 1921. These three 1921 coins are the keys of the series. The 1921-D is the rarest. The 1919 issues from all three mints are also scarce, especially in better grades. Most survivors of these dates are well worn.
No halves were struck in 1922 or from 1924 to 1926. Only San Francisco struck them in 1923, 1927 and 1928. Weinman's design was hard to strike, so coins from these years often show flat centers on Liberty's head and left hand. Fully struck examples of the 1919-D, 1920-D and 1923-S are seldom seen. The 1929-D and 1929-S close the period with mintages near one and two million.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1921
Morgan dollar production resumed to replace the coins melted under the Pittman Act. In December the Peace dollar by Anthony de Francisci was introduced, struck in high relief that first year.
How to recognize it
Adolph Weinman's design shows Liberty draped in the flag, striding toward the rising sun with branches of laurel and oak in her arm. The reverse shows an eagle perched on a rocky crag with a pine sapling growing beside it. On 1916 and some 1917 coins the mint mark is on the obverse below IN GOD WE TRUST; after that it is on the reverse at the lower left, near the rim.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916–1947) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 548,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.5 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3617 troy oz (11.250 g) |
| Designer | Adolph A. Weinman |
Other 1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 Walking Liberty Half Dollar | 246,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1921-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar | 208,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1921-S Walking Liberty Half Dollar | 548,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.