Owner Comments:
Circulation Strike Mintage 1,001,200
The years from 1929 through 1939 marked a tumultuous time for the United States with our economy in turmoil, and poverty and despair running rampant. Having not being born yet, I cannot imagine what life must have been like during The Great Depression. From what I have read, fifty cents back then purchased only a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread and a quart of milk, but nothing more. In looking at coinage from those awful years, I try to imagine what these fifty cent pieces saw, and how many hands that they must have passed through in the purchase of merely the bare necessities just to stay alive, and how worn these coins must have become in the process. So, although I could have purchased Mint State coins from these years and they would have looked pretty in my collection, they wouldn't have told the story of the vast numbers of Americans who suffered through the feelings of hopelessness that the Great Depression brought. So, I wanted to purchase at least a few coins from 1929 through 1939 that were well-circulated and worn, and told the true story of these desperate times. So, although some of these coins might show significant signs of wear, I imagine the men and women who carried them who showed the wear of this awful period in our history. So as I looked at some of these coins, I also imagined looking at the people who suffered and, for a moment, had the chance to glimpse into history.
According to the literature, and notable in this example, is average eye appeal and trace luster, with the luster appearing sporadically mainly in the protected areas between letters.
It was difficult to get a good photograph of this coin, but there is a golden-tinged surface skin present.
On the obverse, there is moderate wear, with the head showing about 70% of design detail and the left hand showing about 50%. Breast outline is visible, but the knee is flat. Liberty's gown lines are mostly visible.
On the reverse, less than half of the breast and left leg feathers are visible with flat areas. Feathers below the neck are very worn. Again, some mint luster can be seen in the protected area between letters.
Numismatic News: 1929-D Walking Liberty halves were available from the Treasury department (at a later time) at face value plus postage per a notice received by the American Numismatic Association on April 23, 1932