The United States Mint is selling the much-anticipated 2016-W Walking Liberty Centennial 1/2 Ounce Gold Coin beginning at noon ET today, Nov. 17. This collectible appears 100 years after the original Walking Liberty half-dollar debuted, and it is the last of three gold coins for this year to celebrate designs issued in the 1916 renaissance of American coinage.
Unlike its century-old predecessor with its composition of 90% silver and 10% copper, the centennial edition is in .9999 fine 24-karat gold. Its one-half ounce weight is symbolic of the coin’s denomination, as is its business strike.
Here’s a table comparing specifications between the original silver half-dollar and the gold half-dollar:
| 1916-1947 50c Walking Liberty | 2016 50c Gold Walking Liberty | |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | 90% silver; 10% copper | 99.99% Gold |
| Weight | 0.36169 silver troy oz. plus 0.04018 copper troy oz. (12.5 grams) | 0.5000 troy oz. (15.552 grams) |
| Diameter | 1.206 inches (30.63 mm) | 1.063 inches (27.00 mm) |
| Thickness | 0.070 inches (1.80 mm) | 0.085 inches (2.16 mm) |
| Edge | Reeded | Reeded |
| Production Facility(s) | Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco | West Point |
Last Release in 2016 Centennial Gold Coins
The U.S. Mint back in April released its gold Mercury dime, the first of the three 2016 centennial gold coins. Priced at $205; limited to a mintage of 125,000 coins; and restricted to sales of 10 coins per household, it went on back order after about 20 minutes and it became unavailable after around 40 minutes. Its latest sales are 116,096 coins. The U.S. Mint is yet to announce what it’s going to do with the remaining around 8,900 coins.
Then in September, the U.S. Mint issued the second centennial coin, the gold Standing Liberty quarter. It has a lower mintage of 100,000 but costs more (currently $460). The quarter’s initial household ordering limit of one coin is no longer in affect. Its latest sales are 80,633.
Price, Ordering, Mintage and Limits
The U.S. Mint’s collections of numismatic gold coins have prices that can change weekly depending on the trending value of gold and its pricing schedule. The gold Walking Liberty half-dollar will debut at $865.
Those interested in the new coin can order one on release straight from the U.S. Mint’s website. The coin’s product page is right here. Place phone orders at 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).
No more than 70,000 will be sold. There is an initial household ordering limit of 3 coins.
Update (Nov. 18): The U.S. Mint at 12:18 p.m. ET said first day sales reached 43,728 coins.
Update (Nov. 22): Four-day sales hit 46,956 coins according to the latest U.S. Mint sales data.
I will be getting one of these for sure. Got the dime and quarter so this one will complete the set. I do agree that is a terrible investment but I buy my coins for the beauty and my personal pleasure of collecting so no big deal for me as this is one of the most beautiful desings ever created… IMO
I hope the us mint does a good job handling and inspecting these coins cause most of their coins lately come all full of spots and scratches which is a big NO NO.
I’m ready to buy to complete the set as well. I’m buying for pure enjoyment and not investment. Coins aren’t generally a good investment anyway compared to other financial instruments. I’m also hoping it will be something to pass down to my son and inspire him to enjoy numismatics of a bygone era. The era of good taste and design is pretty much over.
Why is the price of this coin so high priced, should be priced at $790.00
In and out by 12:02. No problems. Looking forward to this so as to complete a 3 coin set.
Took 5 minutes to get logged in but once there all went quickly. Acknowledgement already received.
Quickly done 12:04
It looks like this might be another weak seller.
I also was in and out in 2 minutes. Site freeze up at different stages. I’m guessing about 32k initial sales on this one. It is overpriced with spot gold, but I still paid the price. Too pretty of a coin.
I’m looking forward to buying this coin in three months off ebay for $715 slabbed SP69.
After I signed on and went through the check our out steps the site seemed to slow
Down a bit. Got my confirmation email. Still looking for a
Good buy it n a 2016 Gold Mercury dime and a 2015 American Love Betty High Releif 1 oz Gold coin.
Thx Bilelle
Based on the $489 for the Standing Liberty I had no problem with $865 for the Walking Liberty.
Got my order in with only three hiccups during checkout. I am disappointed that the diameter is smaller than the original (1.063 diameter vs 1.205 diameter). But the thickness is slightly more at .085 vs .070. I guess to make it the same size as the original half dollar, the gold content would have been a weird number.
Happy collecting to all.
Ordered at around 12:10 p.m. and there were NO hiccups, I thought that I was in the Twilight Zone, given how crash-prone the US Mint’s website has been during the release of other much-anticipated products. Also ordered a roll of Nixon dollars. This will be handed out, coin-by-coin, as a gag-gift: For anyone here who is old enough to remember the underground comics of the 1960’s and 1970’s, there was something in one of them about there being a coin commemorating the ‘great’ Richard M. Nixon. Well – that day has finally arrived! For Christmas this year, some of my… Read more »
Got one for my collection with no problems. But this gold coin still hasn’t sold out!
-NumisDudeTX
This certainly is not a flip coin. Still available :).
I love this coin, absolutely gorgeous! My wife and I both bought 3 for a total of 6. I expect it will sell rather quickly.
Seth
glad you got in and got your order….the system locked a little ..then all was well..in and out with a breeze…just checked ..still not sold out…?
charles –
Glad you got one of these for your collection without problems. They are beautiful, but I am surprised the dealers & flippers didn’t cause a sellout yet!
Happy collecting!
-NumisDudeTX
Seth
I think they were trying…but with the Holidays and all , that is a lot of money to tie up for the average employee…..I don’t think the flippers pay there employees until the box from the mint comes in and they turn it over to the flipper…any way. .there loss our gain….makes for a Happy Thanksgiving…and to all Have a very Happy Thanksgiving
charles –
Good point about the dealers & flippers. The best thing is we collectors were able to get one for our collections at issue price!
Have a great Thanksgiving Charles.
-NumisDudeTX
Just bought one now (about 4pm EST), took about 1 minute, no problems.
Got hung up in the yard being in the 70’s out today and didn’t order until 4:30 pm est.
No problems!
Beautiful coin. Very tempting. I missed the ‘dime’ (sold out first 20 minutes), bought the ‘quarter’ (16XC) on release date (and time) and received one with a few prominent ‘dings’ between rim and design area on reverse. I hesitantly returned 16XC to the mint (paid return ship) and promptly received flawless replacement. Can I resist the 16XA? We’ll see if they remain available for long. With the popular 1986- date Silver Eagle using an adaptation of the Liberty’s obverse design, I think there may be quite a crossover interest in these. The obverse mintmark is a nice touch. and they… Read more »
There are two major reasons this coin will sell out in a week:
1) Obverse is iconic because it is identical to the 1 oz. American Silver Eagle
2) Reverse is iconic filled to the brim with the American bald eagle.
Remember, the original silver Walking Liberty half dollar survived WWI and WWII.. You can’t top that!
IMO, this is the most historic and beautiful coin ever produced by the U.S. Mint regardless which side you’re looking at.
Business Strike giving us the Business! The mint missed a glorious opportunity to really make the Dime-Quarter and Half dollar 1916-2016 centennial coins shine! These coins look ok now though should have been enhanced uncirculated at the bare minimum. Can you imagine what the mint could have produced? This same holds true for the 5oz Teddy Roosevelt National Park coin. It looks ok with its frosted finish but would have looked spectacular if done with the Enhanced Uncirculated process. OH well, as a collector for 60+ years, I guess they will not listen to me. Or the rest of us… Read more »
It’s been said before but I’ll say it again. I wish the 3 coins would have been SILVER!
Too pricey for current price of gold I’ll pass
The mint used to state that a certain amount would be used for National Parks or Charity Works. The inflated price of all three 1916-2016 centennial gold coins
has been pushed well over the daily gold prices. Though, if you look at HSN, they are already selling this $900 half dollar for $1800 bucks…now that’s inflation!
All 3 of these gold centennial coins should have been produced in silver, uncirculated, and proof conditions sold individually and in 2 coin sets with exact dimensions of the originals except using .999 pure silver.
I agree that they should have produced this in coin silver and coin gold (90% each) but probably the only legal way to do it without legislation is to do it the way they did as part of the american eagle product with a different design.
Still, I’d have loved a double set of 90% silver and gold for each design with each being the same size/dimensions/design as the original and leave off the purity statement or make it microscopic.
I keep reading about a sell out of this coin in the comments. Apparently you guys have enough spare money to buy gold at 142% of spot. The coin is beautiful, there is no doubt about it. But it’s expensive and easily at risk for selling below $865 on ebay in 2 months.
Waiting for first days sales.
I’m sure the coin will sell out, when they remove the price restriction next week.
Many of us are buying the coin not for investment purposes but for collecting purposes. That’s the joy of numismatics to me and it far exceeds the investing side for my pleasure. 🙂
Mike Unser & CoinNews readers –
First day sales of this gold half dollar were ony 43,728 of the 70,000 mintage. No quick sellout on this one or the gold dime or gold quarter. The Mint says these coins were “100 Years in the Making” & it may take that long for any of them to sellout!
-NumisDudeTX
I forgot & then did not really care, kind of sad….The price is crazy to gold, & with the #’s not much of a secondary collector market for these as 70,000 is too many. May limp along like the SLQ AU – maybe with a price reduction…I have collected since 1968 but the Mint’s conduct of late has made me not really care much about new stuff. I don;t know about collecting these per se beyond a 3 coin set….where are the last of the MErcury, the 2016 AG High releif medals…the mint is holding them between their legs it… Read more »
I doubt eBay sellers would buy these off the mint for $865 and resell them for $715 two months from now.
I think if the mint would have done these in proof finish,with the same mintage limits they would have sold out all 3. IMO the mint mess up big time.
No it wasn’t the mint mess. I got email from some of these 3rd big coin dealers and they offered to give 200$ extra if I bought them the 3 coins and send it to them without breaking the seal. Its their trick of getting these coins for cheap and then selling for way higher price and scamming the people.
WhoDunit: Just curious which dealers offered you a premium to purchase 3 SL gold centennial coins? I received offers like that for the gold centennial quarter, but not this time.
Mint sold more SLQ 1/4 oz with a limit of one per household on 1st day:
“Update (Sept. 9 at 10:19 a.m.): First-day sales of the Standing Liberty 2016 Centennial Gold Coin reached 47,884, the United States Mint announced.”
Now SLQ sits at 80,633 of 100,000 max limit.
versus this Walker 50c 1/2 oz at 43,728
versus Mercury 10c 1/10 oz at 116,096 on its first and only sale day
I wonder which will sell out first, 25c or 50c ?
Can any remainders be sold in 2017 ?
The mint is still selling the 2012 Birthday sets so, unless they have a special directive, these gold coins will be on the market until they are gone. The standing Liberty Quarter is still listed as available this morning.
Loby-WA2AXZ
Lindy –
These gold dimes, quarters & half dollar coins are not under the restrictions of the 2 commemorative coin programs allowed by Congress by law each year & therefore these can be sold into 2017.
-NumisDudeTX
We are 6 days to Thanksgiving and weeks away from Christmas and 2017. 2017 is supposed to be a BIG deal for the USMint (225th Anniv.) It would be interesting if the Centennial gold coins are still selling by April 2nd, 2017. It would also be interesting to see in 2021 if they re-strike the Peace Dollar in .9999 fine gold in a high relief business strike. At my age, I may not still be around to find out. Those younger than 60 today would have a pretty good shot of finding out in 2021 to say nothing of the… Read more »
Well, if no one buys them by the first of next year, the mint will melt the coins that are left, lowering the mintage, and make them more desirable. The lower mintage will support the pricing.
Think i’ll wait a little while and try my luck on ebay for a sp70 grade.
At 8:30 pm I got a message that my order has shipped.
This is a beautiful coin. Gold has been up this year and will have a good 2017 when inflation returns. Remember words of WarWarren Buffet, “buy when others are selling” and “buy low, sell high”. This coin will have a good return on investment.
Last week our “friend” Mike Mesak on HSN was selling these Walking Liberty halves for almost $1800! WOW what a markup. I collect coins for my own pleasure and my little Grandsons too. I’ll be happy with whatever the mint issues and let the little guys worry in the future if my coins are 70… or below! 😉
Loby-WA2AXZ
RonnieBGood –
Billionaire Warren Buffet has said he doesn’t own gold – “Gold is dead money – it doesn’t bring regular dividends or interest.”
Not even the top “experts” know what gold is going to do. It is too volatile. I have been reading the “top experts” investment letters since 1980 & they are STILL saying gold will be $3000-$5000 soon! But gold has never been any higher than about $1920 in history! These gold coins are for collectors, not serious investors IMHO.
-NumisDudeTX
Did not expect to see bidders on eBay sending SP70 graded coins to over $1100 with 4 to 5 days left to bid.
I was off on my thought of how many would sell first day. I thought about 32k … but now given the price of gold tanking I wouldn’t doubt that the official initial sales numbers go down. There is no real sustained market here for the flippers. Sure, you will be able to get some premium on a 70 grade for a short while, but without a quick sell out this coin is really a “collectors coin”. I don’t think this will sell out or the SLQ, unless the Mint lets these coins sell forever like they did with the… Read more »
This walking liberty is a must purchase for all who collect walking liberty coins
for 2 Reasons it is the first 24k gold Walking liberty second it has the lowest mintage of any walking liberty coin ever produced. This is a coin that you will wish you had 20 years from now.
I’ve just been notified that my gold Half dollar has just been shipped.
One thing that does irk me is that now I have three BIG boxes to store. I had hoped the mint would offer a 3 coin storage box or just sell the 3 coins, Half-Quarter and Dime, as a set outright. Enjoy!
And Happy Thanksgiving all!
Loby-WA2AXZ
The walking liberty gold coin is a coin for long term goal. The coin has the lowest mintage of any walking liberty coin as a true collector this is a must have coin it also apply s to the other 2 coins in the series they may not show much value now but will show a big value 20 years from now . Put these coins away and forget about them or maybe take a peek at them once in awhile to enjoy
The Proof WL silver half dollars of 1936-1942 have much lower mintages than this coin. You can get a Proof WL 1940, 41, 42 in 65 grade for less than the new WL gold coin!
-NumisDudeTX