U.S. Mint Launches Walking Liberty Gold Coin and Medal Set

The United States Mint today at noon ET releases its latest product celebrating America’s 250th anniversary: the Best of the Mint 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Gold Coin and Silver Medal Set. It features a half-ounce, 24-karat gold coin recreating Adolph A. Weinman’s classic half dollar design and a silver medal that gives it a contemporary treatment.

Introduced in 1916 and widely regarded as one of the finest designs in American coinage, Walking Liberty returns in .9999 fine gold alongside a modern silver companion.

Priced at $2,775, the set’s precious-metal content, historic significance and limited production of 30,000 make it one of the Mint’s closely watched products of the year.

Semiquincentennial Best of the Mint Program

The U.S. Mint’s five 2026 Best of the Mint sets pair 24-karat gold coins based on classic designs with newly created one-ounce, .999 fine silver medals. Unveiled in 2024 for the nation’s 250th anniversary, the scheduled releases are:

• 1916 Mercury Dime Set — June 4
• 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Set — July 10
• 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Set — August 6
• 1804 Silver Dollar Set — August 27
• 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief $20 Set — September 24

Demand was strong for the inaugural Mercury dime set, which became unavailable within five hours and posted opening sales of 28,933 at $810 each. Cancellations, payment failures and other adjustments have periodically returned sets to inventory. Now at $770 following lower gold prices, the set has reported sales of 28,549.

Demand for the Standing Liberty quarter set has been more modest. It launched at $1,540 and remains available at a reduced price of $1,527.50, with latest reported sales of 15,519.

Today’s Walking Liberty release is the third-lowest-priced of the five sets. The final two sets will contain larger one-ounce gold coins.

The 2016 Walking Liberty Centennial Gold Coin

For background, this is not the Mint’s first gold Walking Liberty half dollar. In 2016, the agency issued a half-ounce version marking the coin’s 100th anniversary. The coin debuted at $865 with a mintage limit of 70,000 and a household order limit of three. First-day sales reached 43,728, climbing to 46,956 after four days. The Mint removed the order limit 11 days after launch, and the coin ultimately recorded a final mintage of 65,512.

There are several key differences between the two releases. The 2016 coin was sold individually, while this year’s edition comes with a one-ounce silver medal. It also lacked the Liberty Bell "250" privy mark appearing on the Semiquincentennial coin. In addition, the 2016 reverse carried the added design inscriptions AU 24K and 1/2 OZ, which are absent from the new version. The Mint described the earlier coin as having a business strike finish, compared with the uncirculated finish listed for this year’s release.

Gold pricing has also changed considerably. The 2016 coin launched at $865 when the Mint’s pricing tier reflected gold between $1,200 and $1,249.99 an ounce. Today’s two-piece set is priced at $2,775 based on a range of $4,050 to $4,099.99 an ounce.

Walking Liberty Set Designs and Specifications

On the obverse, Liberty strides toward the rising sun with the American flag flowing behind her and branches of laurel and oak in her left arm. Inscriptions include LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and 1916, along with a Liberty Bell privy mark bearing the numeral 250 in recognition of the nation’s Semiquincentennial.

The reverse re-creates Weinman’s original eagle design, depicting the bird perched on a mountain crag with its wings raised beside a young pine sapling growing from a rocky crevice. Inscriptions read UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM and HALF DOLLAR.

Inspired by the 1916 Walking Liberty half dollar, the companion silver medal reimagines elements of the original design in the Art Deco style that followed Weinman’s neoclassical aesthetic. The composition flows across both sides. On the obverse, Liberty extends her right hand while holding branches in her left. The rising sun and rolling landscape continue onto the reverse, where a soaring eagle symbolizes freedom. Inscriptions are LIBERTY and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Walking Liberty Set Specifications

 

Ordering Information and Limits

The Best of the Mint 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Gold Coin and Silver Medal Set goes on sale at Noon ET through the U.S. Mint’s website. An initial household order limit of one applies for the first 24 hours.

The set’s current $2,775 price may change weekly under the Mint’s precious-metals pricing matrix based on movements in the gold market.