1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar is a 90% silver coin that draws attention from collectors for both its precious-metal content and its age. Guide estimates for the three mint branches range from about $43.00 in well-worn grades to $3,103.00 for choice uncirculated examples, depending on mint and condition.
These are guide anchors, not guaranteed selling prices or current silver-melt quotes. Mint location, surface quality and accurate grading all play a role in where a specific coin falls within that spread.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar
The quickest way to start figuring out what your 1918 half dollar is worth is to upload clear photos of both the front and back. Our identifier can give you a preliminary read on mint, version and approximate condition.
Good lighting and a steady hand help — try to capture the mintmark area and Liberty's central details without glare.
1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value
Upload both sides of your 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Versions Are Worth Money?
- The 1918-D branch commands the highest guide estimate at MS63, listed at $3,103.00, making it the version to watch in uncirculated condition.
- The 1918-S follows at $2,051.00 in MS63, a significant step above the Philadelphia issue at that grade.
- In lower circulated grades like G4, all three branches sit close together — $43.00 to $44.00 — so condition is the real separator for this date.
- Original, problem-free surfaces matter: a cleaned or damaged coin will not match the values of an equivalent-grade piece with natural toning and intact luster.
- Weak central strikes are common across all three mints; coins retaining strong hand and head details alongside full luster can be particularly desirable.
Step 1: Identify Your 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Mint Mark and Version
All three 1918 branches share the same composition: 90% silver and 10% copper at a nominal weight of 12.50 grams. Toning, no matter how dramatic, does not change the underlying alloy.
To tell the branches apart, check for a mintmark on the reverse, at the lower left near the 8 o'clock position. A small "D" means Denver, an "S" means San Francisco, and no mark at all means Philadelphia.
This reverse placement is standard for 1918; earlier issues in 1916 and some 1917 coins carried the mintmark on the obverse beneath IN GOD WE TRUST, so don't confuse the two eras.
All 1918 halves are business strikes — regular circulation coins. There are no proof issues for this date.
If someone offers you a "proof 1918 Walker," that should raise questions.
Step 2: Check Your 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Grade
Start with Liberty's head, the details on her left hand, and the lines across her skirt and knee. These are the first areas to smooth out from wear.
On the reverse, check the eagle's breast feathers, leg detail and wing tips.
Here is the catch with Walking Liberty halves: weak central strikes are common on coins that never circulated at all. A soft hand or mushy head does not automatically mean the coin is worn.
Look for actual smoothing and loss of luster around those high points, not just missing sharpness. The comparison image can help you separate a strike issue from real wear.
If you see full, unbroken cartwheel luster across the fields but the hand details are soft, you likely have a weak strike on an otherwise uncirculated coin. If the luster is broken and the high points feel slick, that is circulation wear.
Cleaned or damaged coins — even in higher technical grades — are not equivalent to problem-free examples and generally trade for less.
Coin Value Lookup is a handy starting point if you want to look up guides for other dates and denominations in the Walking Liberty series.
Step 3: Check 1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Value by Mint and Version
1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar
The 1918 Philadelphia half dollar has no mintmark — that blank space on the reverse lower left is exactly what you should see. In well-worn Good-4 condition, guide estimates place this coin around $43.00.
Jump to a choice uncirculated MS63 and the estimate rises to $1,363.00.
Philadelphia is the most accessible of the three 1918 mints at the upper grades, though "accessible" is relative for a coin over a century old. Confirm there is no trace of a mintmark before assuming Philadelphia production.
Silver content supports a baseline value, but problem-free surfaces with original luster are what push a coin toward those higher guide figures.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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Coin Identifier
G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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Coin Identifier
VG 10
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Coin Identifier F F 12
Coin Identifier
F 15
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
Coin Identifier
VF 25
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
Coin Identifier
MS 61
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
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—
—
MS 68
—
—
—
MS 69
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—
—
MS 70
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—
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1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar — D
The 1918-D carries a small "D" mintmark on the reverse lower left. This Denver branch is the standout of the year in uncirculated grades, with guide estimates of $3,103.00 at MS63 — more than double the Philadelphia issue at the same level.
In worn condition at G4, it sits at roughly $44.00, nearly identical to the other two mints. The real premium kicks in as you move up the grading scale.
Eye-appealing, original-surface examples with strong central details are particularly sought after because many surviving Denver coins show weak strikes in the hand and head area. If yours has both sharp detail and full luster, that combination is worth careful evaluation.
Cleaned or damaged pieces trade well below guide levels regardless of the mintmark.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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Coin Identifier
G 6
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
Coin Identifier
VG 10
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Coin Identifier F F 12
Coin Identifier
F 15
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
Coin Identifier
VF 25
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
Coin Identifier
MS 61
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
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—
—
MS 68
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—
—
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
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1918 Walking Liberty Half Dollar — S
San Francisco's contribution to 1918 carries an "S" mintmark at the reverse lower left. Guide estimates place the 1918-S at $44.00 in G4 and $2,051.00 in MS63, slotting it between the Philadelphia and Denver branches at the upper end.
Like its Denver sibling, surviving uncirculated examples with genuinely strong central details can be elusive. Weak strikes on the hand and head are a recurring theme across all Walker mints, and the San Francisco coins are no exception.
When grading, focus on whether luster is intact and whether smoothing is from actual wear or just a soft strike. Silver content provides a value floor, but original surfaces without cleaning or damage are what separate a coin worth guide-level money from one trading at a discount.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
Coin Identifier G G 4
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Coin Identifier
G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
Coin Identifier
VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
Coin Identifier
F 15
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
Coin Identifier
VF 25
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
Coin Identifier
MS 61
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
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Coin Identifier
MS 68
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—
—
MS 69
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—
—
MS 70
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