1943 Half Dollar Coin Value: Errors List, “D”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth

1943 Half Dollar value ranges from $0.50 face value to $120,000. That record belongs to a Grade 68 example sold through Stack’s Bowers in June 2021. Upload a photo of yours below for a quick value range. Scroll down to check recent eBay sales and see what collectors are paying today.

 

1943 Half Dollar Value By Variety

Here’s what each 1943 half dollar variety is trading for right now across every grade.

If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Kennedy Half Dollar Worth Money (1964 – Present)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1943 Half Dollar Value Records

The coin sitting at the top of this list is a Philadelphia MS68+ that sold for $120,000 through Stack’s Bowers in June 2021. That same auction saw a 1943-S MS67+ bring $66,000 — making June 2021 a landmark night for this date.

The gap between circulated and top-pop examples is staggering. A 1943 Philadelphia MS68 sold for $35,250 at Legend Rare Coin Auctions in September 2018, and another MS68 fetched $15,600 through Stack’s Bowers in April 2022. Even non-plus grades at the top of the population clear $15,000. Meanwhile, the 1943-D MS68 set its record of $51,175 at Bowers & Merena back in November 2006. That record is nearly two decades old and ripe to be broken if another example surfaces.

 

History of the 1943 Half Dollar Value: A Wartime Silver Classic

The Walking Liberty half dollar debuted in 1916 after Mint Director Robert D. Woolley misread the law. He thought designs had to change after 25 years. They didn’t — the law just gave the Mint permission to change them without Congress. That mistake kicked off a design competition that gave us one of the best-looking coins ever struck.

Adolph A. Weinman won the half dollar commission with his image of Liberty striding toward a rising sun. The design was so good that the Mint borrowed its reverse eagle for the American Silver Eagle bullion coin in 1986. That program is still running today.

But the coin was a headache to produce from day one. High relief caused stacking problems, jammed vending machines, and forced Philadelphia Mint superintendent Adam M. Joyce to lower the relief just to keep production moving.

By 1943, all three mints were running flat out for the war effort. Philadelphia struck 53,190,000 half dollars — the highest mintage for any half dollar up to that point. That record held until the 1963-D Franklin Half Dollar hit 67,069,292 pieces.

Here’s a detail many collectors miss: the Mint completely shut down proof production in 1943. Every resource went to circulating coinage. Proofs wouldn’t return until 1950. That’s why no 1943 proof Walkers exist — only the extremely rare Proof-Like business strikes from San Francisco, made with polished dies.

Strike quality at San Francisco was awful throughout 1940–1944. Liberty’s left hand is frequently invisible on S-Mint coins due to weak striking pressure. Those ongoing problems helped seal the Walking Liberty’s fate — the design was retired in favor of the Franklin Half Dollar in 1948.

Also Read: Top 35 Most Valuable Franklin Half Dollar Worth Money (1948 – 1963)

 

Is Your 1943 Half Dollar Value Affected by Rarity?

Use our Coin Identifier and Value App to check your coin’s rarity score alongside current market values.

 

Key Features That Affect Your 1943 Half Dollar Value

By 1943, Weinman’s Walking Liberty design had been in production for 27 years. Wartime conditions at all three mints created real differences in quality from one facility to the next.

Three things matter most when you’re evaluating your coin: composition, strike quality, and mint mark.

The Obverse of the 1943 Half Dollar

Liberty dominates the obverse, striding toward a rising sun with olive branches in her left hand. That extended left hand is your strike-quality litmus test. On San Francisco coins, it’s frequently weak or completely gone. Philadelphia strikes almost always show it clearly.

“LIBERTY” arches across the upper rim, and “IN GOD WE TRUST” sits to Liberty’s right. Don’t bother looking for a mint mark here — it was moved to the reverse back in 1917. Flip it over.

The Reverse of the 1943 Half Dollar

A heraldic eagle perches on a rocky cliff, wings spread wide, clutching an olive branch. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” traces the upper rim, “HALF DOLLAR” arcs below, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” floats above the rocks.

Look below the pine branch at lower center for the mint mark: “D” for Denver, “S” for San Francisco, or blank for Philadelphia. One named variety worth knowing — the 1943-S FS-901 Missing Initials — shows Weinman’s “AW” initials completely absent from the reverse. An over-polished die wiped them out. Both Greysheet and PCGS CoinFacts catalogue it separately.

Other Features of the 1943 Half Dollar

The 1943 is 90% silver and 10% copper — the same formula used since 1916, unchanged despite wartime metal shortages that turned pennies to steel and put silver in nickels.

Specs: 30.6mm diameter, 12.50 grams total weight, 150 reeded edge grooves. Each coin contains 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver, so even a beat-up example has real melt value backing it up.

Also Read: Top 60+ Most Valuable Walking Liberty Half Dollar (1916–1947)

 

1943 Half Dollar Value: Mintage & Survival Data

Total 1943 production across all three mints hit approximately 77,986,000 coins — the highest-production year in Walking Liberty history. Philadelphia alone accounted for 53,190,000 of those.

Denver came in lowest at around 11,346,000, making it the scarcest regular-strike variety. San Francisco produced approximately 13,450,000. Despite Denver’s smaller mintage, it only commands modest premiums below MS65 because enough nice examples survived to meet demand.

Survival rates across all three mints sit below 5.2%. Wartime coins got used hard. The 1943-S tells the toughest story: out of roughly 650,000 survivors, only about 50,000 reach mint state, and just 7,500 grade MS65 or higher. Weak strikes kept most coins from top grades even when surfaces were clean.

Philadelphia is the opposite story. PCGS has graded 533 examples in MS-67 and 56 in MS-67+. You have a realistic shot at a high-grade Philly coin without paying crazy money. I think it’s the best entry point for anyone building a Walking Liberty type set.

Also Read: What Half Dollars Are Worth Money?

 

1943 Half Dollar Value: How to Grade Your Coin

Two things determine your coin’s grade: which mint made it and how much wear it shows. Both directly affect value.

First, flip the coin to the reverse and look below the pine branch near the lower center. A “D” means Denver, “S” means San Francisco, no mark means Philadelphia. That single detail can swing your coin’s value by hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Next, check Liberty’s left hand on the obverse and the eagle’s breast feathers on the reverse. Those are the high points — wear shows up there first. PCGS CoinFacts notes that the 1943 Philadelphia is “often found with great original frosty luster and strike is never a problem,” so grading those is straightforward. The 1943-S is a different animal. David Hall, co-founder of PCGS, has noted that the 1943-S “is rarer than the 1945-S and 1946-S, but not as rare as the other S-Mints of the 1940s” and that sharp strikes are genuinely scarce and worth a significant premium.

Circulated examples (G-4 through AU-58) typically sell for $20–$45. Mint state coins (MS-60 through MS-65) range from roughly $60 to $225 depending on mint and strike. Premium gems jump fast: an MS-67 Philadelphia can reach $675–$2,250, while the top-known MS-68+ Philadelphia sold for $120,000 through Stack’s Bowers in June 2021.

For convenient professional-level grading and instant market valuation from your phone, the Coin Identifier and Value App offers error detection, rarity scoring, and real-time value estimates — no guesswork required.

 

1943 Half Dollar Value Guides

• 1943 No Mint Mark Half Dollar (Philadelphia)
• 1943-D Half Dollar (Denver)
• 1943-S Half Dollar (San Francisco)
• 1943-S Proof-Like Half Dollar (San Francisco Special)

Four collecting categories, four different market personalities. Philadelphia is the most plentiful, Denver has the lowest mintage among regular strikes, San Francisco is the toughest strike-quality challenge, and the San Francisco Proof-Like is the ultimate rarity.

All four trade in a similar $20–$38 range when heavily circulated. The differences get dramatic in mint state. Figure out which category your coin falls into before you talk to any buyer.

 

1943 No Mint Mark Half Dollar Value

With 53,190,000 struck, this is the most common Walking Liberty half dollar in every grade. PCGS treats it as the go-to type coin for the entire series. If you’re building a type set on a budget, start here.

Philadelphia’s strike quality in 1943 was consistently excellent. You’ll find full, frosty luster and complete detail on Liberty’s hand and skirt folds — a night-and-day difference from San Francisco. These coins grade higher on average and are far easier to find slabbed in gem condition.

The value curve is classic numismatics: modest bumps through circulated grades, then an explosion at the top. PCGS has certified 533 examples in MS-67 and 56 in MS-67+, but only a tiny handful reach MS-68. Those top-pop coins are among the rarest in the whole Walking Liberty series. The finest known MS-68+ sold for $120,000 at Stack’s Bowers in June 2021. Another MS-68 brought $35,250 at Legend Rare Coin Auctions in September 2018, and yet another MS-68 reached $15,600 at Stack’s Bowers in April 2022.

Current auction records reveal how grade differences translate into substantial value variations across the quality spectrum.

Market activity data shows continued collector interest in the Philadelphia-issued coin.

Market activity score: 90/100 as of Sep 2026 — up 27 points from Jun 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

 

1943-D Half Dollar Value

Here’s a common misconception: lowest mintage doesn’t always mean highest price. Denver struck approximately 11,346,000 coins — about one-fifth of Philadelphia’s output — yet below MS65, premiums stay modest. Enough nice examples survived to keep the market balanced.

About 550,000 Denver coins survive today. Roughly 90,000 are in some form of uncirculated condition, with around 27,500 at the scarcer end of the grading scale. Look for the “D” mint mark on the reverse, below and to the left of the pine branch. A crisp, sharp “D” is preferred — die wear can soften the mark and nibble at the premium.

Strike quality lands between Philadelphia (excellent) and San Francisco (problematic). You’ll generally see solid detail with occasional softness in Liberty’s skirt folds. The all-time auction record — $51,175 for an MS-68 at Bowers & Merena in November 2006 — has stood for nearly two decades. We think that record is vulnerable if another top-grade example comes to market. Greysheet currently lists 1943-D Mint State values from approximately $31 at the low end to $26,000 at the top of the population.

Recent auction results demonstrate the relationship between grade, strike quality, and market demand for this Denver production.

Current market activity reflects steady collector engagement with this moderately available variety, showing consistent trading patterns throughout recent months.

Market activity score: 84/100 as of Sep 2026 — up 21 points from Jun 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

 

1943-S Half Dollar Value

Can you have a higher mintage than Denver and still be harder to find in gem condition? Absolutely. San Francisco struck approximately 13,450,000 pieces, but strike weakness wrecks the survival picture at the top grades.

PCGS CoinFacts puts it bluntly: “the left hand of Ms. Liberty is often so weak it cannot be seen at all.” Sharply struck gems are genuinely scarce and worth a real premium. Of approximately 650,000 survivors, only 50,000 reach any mint state level. Just 7,500 make MS-65 or better. PCGS co-founder David Hall calls the 1943-S “one of the key dates to the 1940–1947 set,” rarer than the 1945-S and 1946-S in high grades despite its seemingly reasonable mintage.

The auction record — $66,000 for an MS-67+ at Stack’s Bowers in June 2021 — tells you everything about how much strike quality matters on this date. Also worth cherrypicking: the 1943-S FS-901 Missing Initials variety, where Weinman’s “AW” was polished off the die. It’s listed in the Greysheet and commands its own premium from variety specialists.

Current auction records demonstrate the premiums that strike quality commands for this challenging issue.

Market activity reflects growing collector interest in this strike-sensitive San Francisco variety.

Market activity score: 85/100 as of Sep 2026 — up 22 points from Jun 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

 

1943-S Proof Like Half Dollar Value

Only 13 certified. That’s it. The 1943-S Proof-Like is the rarest and most visually stunning variety of the entire 1943 date.

These coins were struck from specially polished dies, producing mirror-like fields and frosted devices that create dramatic cameo-like contrast — the kind of look you normally only see on proofs. The Proof-Like (PL) designation from PCGS or NGC means a business-strike coin shows reflective surfaces matching proof quality without being intentionally produced as one.

Here’s the paradox: the same San Francisco facility that couldn’t fill Liberty’s hand on regular strikes somehow produced a handful of visually spectacular coins from polished dies. Greysheet currently values these in a range of approximately $1,650–$3,600 depending on grade, but individual top-pop examples carry significant premiums above guide prices. With only 13 slabbed, every one that trades is an event.

Current market activity demonstrates sustained collector interest in these premium proof-like specimens.

Market activity score: 43/100 as of Sep 2026 — unchanged since Jun 2026. 12-month peak: 47 (Mar 2026).

Also Read: Rare Half Dollar Coins to Look For

 

Rare 1943 Half Dollar Error Value List

Wartime production speed meant more mistakes — and some of those mistakes are worth more than perfect coins. Here’s every known error type for the 1943 Walking Liberty, with values and auction records where available.

1. 1943 Half Dollar Double Die Obverse (DDO) Error

A DDO happens when the working die gets two slightly misaligned impressions from the hub. Every coin struck from that die carries the doubling. On the 1943-D, look below Lady Liberty’s chin. On Philadelphia strikes, check the date numerals and “IN GOD WE TRUST.”

Values for 1943-D DDO coins in MS-65 grade run approximately $235. Dramatic, well-preserved examples from any mint can bring $800–$2,500 depending on how strong the shift is.

2. 1943 Half Dollar Off-Center Strike Error

These happen when the planchet isn’t seated properly before the dies come together. You get part of the design struck normally and the rest blank.

Collectors want 10% to 50% off-center, with a full readable date. A 1945-S Walker struck 55% off-center realized $41,125 at auction — that gives you the ceiling for dramatic examples. 1943 off-center strikes of similar magnitude typically sell for $300–$1,200 depending on percentage and preservation.

3. 1943 Half Dollar Clipped Planchet Error

The blanking punch overlaps an already-punched hole in the metal strip, cutting a bite from the future coin’s edge before it ever enters the press. The finished coin has a curved or straight chunk missing from the rim.

On 1943 halves, clips typically affect 5–25% of the circumference. A small curved clip runs about $75. A large straight clip that removes significant rim lettering can top $400.

4. 1943 Half Dollar Broadstrike Error

When the retaining collar fails to engage, the coin metal spreads outward past its normal diameter. The result is a wider, thinner coin with a completely smooth edge and often distorted lettering.

These are dramatic and easy to spot. Values typically run $200–$600 depending on how much the coin expanded and how clearly the design elements remain.

5. 1943 Half Dollar Struck-Through Grease Error

Press lubricant fills part of the die’s recessed design, blocking the metal from flowing in. The coin comes out with missing or weak letters. One confirmed 1943 Philadelphia example shows “OLLAR” entirely missing from “DOLLAR” on the reverse — grease clogged the die.

Minor struck-through grease errors bring $50–$300. A dramatic piece with major inscription loss like the “OLLAR” variety commands significantly more from specialists.

6. 1943 Half Dollar Wrong Planchet Error

These are the heavy hitters. During WWII, the U.S. Mint was striking coins for allied nations, and a few foreign blanks wandered into the half dollar production line.

Two confirmed types exist. A 1943 Walker struck on a Peruvian ½ Sol planchet — one of only two known — sold for $20,000. A second variety, struck on an El Salvadoran 25 centavos planchet, brought $15,000 at its most recent auction. Both are ranked among the Top 100 most valuable U.S. coin errors.

 

Where to Sell Your 1943 Half Dollar for Full Value

Selecting the right venue is just as important as knowing your coin’s grade when it comes to getting a fair price. A worn 1943 half dollar can be sold quickly as junk silver at any local coin shop or at spot-adjacent prices online, while a gem mint state or error example deserves the visibility of a major auction.

For circulated examples, local coin dealers, estate sale specialists, or bullion dealers will typically pay close to silver melt value with a small numismatic premium. For uncirculated coins grading MS-63 and above, or for any error coin, consider submitting to PCGS or NGC (Professional Coin Grading Service or Numismatic Guaranty Company) for third-party certification before selling — a certified grade dramatically increases buyer confidence and realized prices.

For high-grade gems (MS-66+), major auction houses including Heritage Auctions, Stack’s Bowers, and Great Collections regularly achieve the strongest results because they reach the largest pool of serious collectors.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

 

1943 Half Dollar Value: Market Trend

Market interest: 21,690 collectors tracking this coin as of Sep 2026 — up 900 from Mar 2026. 12-month peak: 24,560 (Jan 2026).

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

 

FAQ about the 1943 Half Dollar Value

1. What is the silver content of a 1943 half dollar?

It’s 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 12.50 grams with 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver. At current spot prices, melt value sits around $31 — a solid floor for any example regardless of grade.

2. How do I authenticate a 1943 half dollar?

Weigh it: 12.50 grams exactly. Measure it: 30.6mm diameter. Count the edge reeds: 150. Counterfeits often show mushy detail, wrong reeding counts, or incorrect weight. When in doubt, send it to PCGS or NGC.

3. What is the most valuable 1943 half dollar variety?

The Philadelphia MS-68+ holds the auction crown at $120,000 (Stack’s Bowers, June 2021). Among regular strikes in top condition, the 1943-S is actually rarest at the gem level — weak strikes prevent most from reaching MS-65 or higher, and its MS-67+ record of $66,000 reflects that. The 1943-S Proof-Like, with only 13 certified examples, is the single rarest variety of all.

4. Why do 1943-S half dollars often look weakly struck?

San Francisco used inadequate striking pressure on all Walking Liberty halves from 1940 through 1944. Liberty’s extended left hand — the highest-relief point on the obverse — often comes out completely flat or invisible, no matter how well-preserved the rest of the coin is. PCGS CoinFacts confirms this is a strike problem specific to all 1940–1944 S-Mint Walkers, not wear or damage.

5. Did the U.S. Mint make proof 1943 half dollars?

No. Proof production was completely suspended in 1943 for the war effort and didn’t resume until 1950. The only premium-surface 1943 coins are the very rare San Francisco Proof-Like business strikes, made from polished dies but never officially designated as proofs.

6. What is the 1943-S FS-901 Missing Initials variety?

Weinman’s “AW” designer initials on the reverse were polished completely off the die during production. The coin looks like it was never signed. It’s catalogued in the Greysheet (CDN Publishing) and recognized by PCGS CoinFacts, and it commands a premium over standard 1943-S examples among variety collectors.

7. How does the 1943 half dollar compare to other Walking Liberty key dates?

The 1943 Philadelphia is the most common date in the series — affordable even in MS-65 and the standard type coin choice. The real key dates are the 1916, 1917-D Obverse, 1919-D, and all 1921 issues, which are in a completely different league. The 1943-S, though, qualifies as a semi-key for the 1940–1947 run thanks to severe strike problems and limited high-grade survivors.

8. What is a Proof-Like (PL) designation and how does it affect 1943 half dollar value?

PCGS or NGC awards the PL designation when a business-strike coin shows mirror-like reflective fields similar to a proof. This happens when dies are freshly polished before use. For the 1943-S, only 13 examples have received PL certification. Greysheet values range from approximately $1,650 to $3,600 — far above a standard 1943-S of similar grade.

9. Are there wrong planchet errors for the 1943 half dollar and what are they worth?

Yes — two confirmed types. A 1943 Walker struck on a Peruvian ½ Sol planchet (one of only two known) sold for $20,000 and ranks among the Top 100 most valuable U.S. coin errors. A second example struck on an El Salvadoran 25 centavos planchet sold for $15,000. Both errors happened because the Mint was producing foreign coinage for allied nations during WWII, and a few foreign planchets slipped into the half dollar line.

10. Where should I sell my 1943 half dollar to get the best price?

Circulated coins? A local dealer or bullion buyer will give you quick cash near melt value. For uncirculated coins MS-63 and above, get it slabbed by PCGS or NGC first — third-party certification boosts buyer confidence and realized prices. For gems MS-66+ or confirmed errors, Heritage Auctions, Stack’s Bowers, and GreatCollections consistently deliver the strongest results by reaching the widest pool of serious collectors.