Finest graded Walking Liberty half dollar has fantastic toning

Finest graded Walking Liberty half dollar has fantastic toning

By Steve Roach ,Published: Nov 2, 2020, 10 AM

Brilliant Proof Walking Liberty half dollars were first struck in 1936 and production continued at the Philadelphia Mint until 1942, with mintage generally increasing each year from 3,901 in 1936 to 21,121 in 1942. A total of 5,728 Proof 1937 Walking Liberty half dollars were produced.

Heritage presented one graded Proof 68 by Professional Coin Grading Service with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker that is among the finest-known of the date. Heritage called it “fantastically toned,” observing, “this 1937 Walking Liberty half shows Liberty striding into an orange and fire-red crescent suggestive of the setting sun, with the remainder of the obverse a pale lavender. ... The reverse shows burgundy, violet, orange, and jade areas, with some cherry-red at the lower rim.”

The cataloger accurately predicted that bidders would be excited by the Proof, writing, “Both for its outstanding preservation and its incredible patina, this coin is liable to inspire some intense bidding competition among collectors of toned coins.” It sold for $60,000.

PCGS has graded just 16 in this grade with one in Proof 68+ that is the finest-graded of the date, while CAC has placed its “green bean” on just three in Proof 68.

The original article and others like it can be found at Coin World online