A History of the Walking Liberty: From Artistic Origins to Golden Revival
America’s dedication to producing the finest coinage has been felt throughout the world since the origin of our country. The iconic Walking Liberty design perfectly exemplifies this steadfast dedication to numismatic excellence. Designed by legendary American artist, Adolph Weinman, the Walking Liberty Half Dollar was minted from 1916 to 1947.
In 2016, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, the United States Mint struck a limited amount of just 70,000 examples from pure .999 fine gold. Weinman’s stunning Walking Liberty design was a result of the American Coin Renaissance, a movement inspired and championed by 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
The American Coin Renaissance is the most monumental period in U.S. numismatic history. This is a movement that redesigned every piece of circulating American coinage in about a decade. Due to this movement, our country received new coinage that truly represented our American values. However, these were not just coin designs. These were pieces of fine art that were created by the premiere American sculptors of the time.
This all happened because Roosevelt believed that the United States of America was the greatest country in the world and that our coinage needed to represent that fact. Another belief of Roosevelt that drove this movement was that truly beautiful art should be accessible by every single American. So, Roosevelt reached out to U.S. Secretary of Treasury Shaw with this famous letter:
“My Dear Secretary Shaw,
I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would it be possible, without asking the permission of Congress, to employ a man like Saint-Gaudens to give us a coinage that would have some beauty?
Sincerely Yours,
Theodore Roosevelt”
Eventually, Roosevelt was able to convince Saint-Gaudens to redesign a large chunk of our circulating coinage. The result of this collaboration created what is known as the most beautiful coin to ever be struck in U.S. history, the Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. Unfortunately, Saint-Gaudens passed away before being able to redesign the remaining coins. This tragic event put Roosevelt and the Mint in a difficult situation. They had no idea who would design the remaining coins, but the ball was already rolling, and the new age of American coins finally had momentum.
The Mint began reaching out to other famed artists of the time. Artists like Hermon MacNeil, who designed the Standing Liberty Quarter, Anthony de Francisci, who designed the Peace Dollar, and Victor David Brenner who designed the Lincoln Cent.
The most notable designer of all, aside from Augustus Saint-Gaudens, was Adolph A. Weinman. Weinman was a widely respected artist that studied under Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the man who inspired the coin renaissance, and Daniel Chester French, the designer of the Lincoln Memorial Statue. Weinman’s sculptures were used in the iconic Panama Pacific Exposition in 1915 and he even helped to design the monumental Penn Station in New York. With a resume like that, it is not surprising that the two coins he designed, the Mercury Dime and Walking Liberty Half Dollar, have gone down in American history as two of the most stunning designs to ever be struck.
The Walking Liberty design is a stunning example of American excellence and classic beauty, but this design is so much more than just beauty. The Walking Liberty has become a symbol of American perseverance, our tenacity, and our ability to succeed in the face of despair.
The mintage of this iconic coin began in 1916 and lasted for 31 years, until 1947. Looking at thirty-one-year span that the Walking Liberty Half Dollar was minted, it is clear that this was a very trying time in U.S. history.
1916, the first year of issue for the Walking Liberty, was in the midst of World War I. Following World War I was a short period of the roaring twenties, where everyone was getting used to this new world peace. Then at the end of the decade, the next tragedy struck with the stock market crash of 1929. The Great Depression followed shortly after, and by the 1940s World War II was already in full swing.
This was truly an immense time of despair in American history, but during this time the American people had the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, one of the most hopeful designs to be ever be struck. The obverse showcases a glorious full body rendition of Lady Liberty, wrapped in the stars and stripes of the American flag. She strides forward, towards the rising sun of a new day with an outstretched arm that beckons in hope and freedom. This design was truly an inspiration, a guiding light. It’s almost as if this design was struck specifically to help our country and its citizens through those tragic times.
The reverse showcases a valiant eagle perched atop a hill. The intricate detailing of the spread wings and the glare of determination of this eagle exhibit remarkable beauty. This reverse is another symbolic design that indicates that whatever comes your way, it must be met head on with bravery and resolve. Coupled with the Walking Liberty obverse, these designs are a tremendous tandem of fine art.
With such a celebrated design and such a significant history, the United States Mint made a wonderful decision to strike this design from a half ounce of pure gold. As this is the first and only time that this design appears in gold, it is truly a numismatic treasure like no other. Now, take into account that only 70,000 of these magnificent examples were struck, and the Absolute Rarity of this piece alone makes it a highly desirable part of any numismatic collection.
Rare Collectibles TV is proud to offer a variety of coins featuring Adolph A. Weinman’s iconic Walking Liberty design including:
- 1936-P Walking Liberty Half Dollar PF66 Star, First Year Proof
- Complete Walking Liberty Half Dollar Set, 65 Coins in Good to Extremely Fine Condition
- Varied Date Bag of 25 Walking Liberty Half Dollars in Circulated Condition
