United States 1916-S half dollar

The Barber half dollar was retired in 1915, replaced in 1916 by Adolph Weinman's Walking Liberty design. Popular with the public and a huge hit with collectors, it was never so beloved by mint officials, who struggled to give it a full strike. This is unlikely to be the fault of the design, as Standing Liberty quarters and Buffalo nickels are similarly afflicted. In the middle of 1917, the mintmark was moved from the obverse (shown here) to the reverse, where it remained until the end of issue in 1947. This is a rare date.

Recorded mintage: 508,000.

Specification: 12.50 grams, .900 silver and .100 copper, 30.6 mm diameter, Reeded Edge, Designed by Adolph Weinman.

Source:

• Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
• Fox, Bruce, The Complete Guide to Walking Liberty Half Dollars, Virginia Beach, VA: DLRC Press, 1993.
• Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
• Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.

Link to:

• 1915-S half dollar, Panama-Pacific
• 1916-D cent
• 1916 cent
• 1916 Mercury dime
• 1916-D Mercury dime
• 1916 Barber quarter
• 1916 Standing Liberty quarter
• 1916-D Barber quarter
• 1916 gold dollar, McKinley Memorial
• 1919-D half dollar
• Coins and currency dated 1916
• return to United States Walking Liberty Half Dollars (1916-1947)