1936 Walking Liberty Half Dollar - 1936 50C Walking Liberty NGC PF66. This Premium Gem Proof 1936 Walking Liberty Half Dollar in an old type NGC holder has the lowest mintage for a proof Walking Liberty half dollar. The coin has lustrous surfaces that are sprinkled with delightful rainbow highlights. It features a sharp, medallic strike as seen in the full details of Libertys head and hand. The surfaces of this 1936 Walking Liberty Half Dollar are original and clean, in keeping with the grade. No slide marks are present, and no hairlines are visible without magnification. (The vertical line through IN GOD WE TRUST is on the holder not the coin.) Vibrant mint luster is seen on both sides of the piece. It has low contrast because the entire die was polished including the figure of Liberty and the eagle.

In 1936, the mint stopped using frosted devices on its proof output. All known proof pieces are from the second hub that was used from 1918 to 1936. It shows large stars on the flag and incised garment details at Libertys throat. Walter Breen warns of forgeries that are made from circulation strikes that have been buffed or plated to resemble proof coins. (All USRCI coins are certified by one of the major services and are fully guaranteed to be genuine and authentic.)

Adolph A. Weinman designed the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, which was minted from 1916 to 1947. The obverse depicts a full length portrait of Liberty striding towards a rising sun, perhaps symbolizing a new era. Behind her shoulders is a star-spangled cape. In her left hand she holds olive branches. Her right hand is outstretched in a gesture of peace. She is surrounded by a widely spaced LIBERTY. At her lower right is a brilliant, rising sun that has thirteen rays. IN GOD WE TRUST is in two lines between the Y in LIBERTY and her back foot. The date is below. On the reverse a fierce looking eagle is perched on a rocky cliff. It faces left and its wings are upraised. A sprig of pine grows in a crevice to the left. The sprig represents strength. Eventually it could crack the rock as it grows. At the end of the branch of pine is the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM written in two lines. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc at the top. The denomination, HALF DOLLAR, is below the eagle.

Adolph A. Weinman was born on December 11, 1870 in Karlsruhe, Germany. He moved to the United States when he was ten years old. He attended night classes at Cooper Union when he was fifteen, and later he was a student at the Art Students League of New York, where he studied with sculptor, designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Philip Martiny, another sculptor. In 1904 he opened his own studio. He considered himself an architectural sculptor, as was Saint-Gaudens; however, Weinman is now best known for his coin and medal designs. He is particularly remembered for his Walking Liberty half dollar, from which the American Silver Eagle bullion coin is derived; the Mercury dime, and several medals for the armed services of the United States. His sculptures can be found in several state capitol buildings, the Manhattan Municipal Building, Madison Square Presbyterian Church, Penn Station and others. He created a dramatic sculpture on the Elks National Veterans Memorial in Chicago as well as sculptures for the Post Office Department Building, the Jefferson Memorial and the U.S. Supreme Court. He died on August 8, 1952 in Port Chester, New York.