1929 Half Dollar Error List with Pictures

A Walking Liberty half dollar struck on a quarter blank brought $16,200 at auction in 2018. That coin was dated 1942, so it provides a comparison rather than a recorded 1929 sale.

This guide covers four 1929 half dollar errors to check for, with estimated values of $150–$18,000 for genuine examples.

The year guide does not identify a certified 1929 example for these types. Read on to learn what each would look like.

1. 1929 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Doubled Die Error Check (Estimated Up to $600)

Look closely at a letter: does it have a second outline, or just a flat shelf beside it? Those shapes can have different causes.

A doubled die starts in the steel tool that stamps the coin, when that tool receives a doubled design. It can leave the same repeated details on many coins.

The 1929 year guide suggests checking for this error, but names no certified example or exact spot to examine. A shelf caused by movement during striking is a different effect and usually adds little value.

Estimated Value

Allow an estimated $150–$600 for a genuine example with clear doubling and moderate to very light wear. This is a working estimate, not a recorded 1929 sale.

For comparison, a 1946 half dollar with doubling on the back sold at Heritage for $204 in November 2025. ANACS graded it AU58, meaning very little wear.

That later coin helps set the estimate. It does not prove a 1929 example exists.

How to Identify

Use a 5×–10× magnifier to follow the outline of a clear letter or number. Rounded, separated details deserve attention; a low, flat shelf suggests movement during striking instead.

Move the light. A bright reflection can look like an extra edge, so check whether the same shape remains visible from different angles.

Check the date and the D or S mintmark on the back, which identifies the mint. A scale should show about 12.50 grams, while calipers should show about 30.6 millimeters across; also inspect the grooves around the edge.

Sharp photographs of a repeated design shape give a specialist the quickest way to assess possible doubling on your actual 1929 coin.

 

2. 1929 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Off-Center Strike Error Check (Estimated Up to $1,500)

A blank crescent beside the design is the first thing to notice on an off-center coin. Part of the design is missing at the opposite side.

This happens when the blank sits too far to one side as the press stamps it. Both sides should help tell the same story.

The 1929 year guide shows a coin from another year. That picture does not confirm a 1929 discovery.

The date must still be readable on a candidate coin. An undated Walking Liberty half cannot be assigned to 1929 from its design alone.

Estimated Value

A genuine 1929 example with a readable date and a moderately shifted design has an estimated value of $300–$1,500. That range covers worn coins through examples with no wear but some marks.

A different design gives a recent comparison: a 1976 Kennedy half dollar struck fifteen percent off center sold for $480 at Heritage in December 2025. Its NGC MS64 grade means an unworn coin; it was not a 1929 sale.

How to Identify

Do not crop out the blank crescent when photographing the coin. You need to see that area, the surviving date, and the missing part of the design together.

Then turn it over. If only one side has an uneven rim, one stamping tool may have shifted without the whole blank moving off center.

Inspect the blank area and remaining edge grooves with a magnifier for filing or flattening. Use a scale and calipers to compare it with the normal 12.50-gram weight and 30.6-millimeter diameter.

The quickest useful check is a readable 1929 date beside original blank metal, with matching missing design on both sides.

 

3. 1929 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Broadstrike Error Check (Estimated Up to $4,000)

An unusually wide half dollar can still show the complete design. That combination points toward a broadstrike, an error caused by missing support around the coin during striking.

Normally, a metal ring called a collar holds the blank in place and limits its size. Without that support, pressure can push the metal farther outward.

A 1944 Walking Liberty example illustrates this error, but the year guide identifies no certified 1929 example.

Size alone is not enough. Hammering can also widen a normal coin, but it flattens details differently from a genuine broadstrike.

Estimated Value

The estimated range is $1,000–$4,000 for a genuine 1929 broadstrike with clear widening and little or no wear. A useful same-design comparison is the 1944 example sold by Heritage for $3,120 in August 2020.

PCGS graded that coin MS62, meaning no wear but noticeable marks. Its design sits unevenly within the widened blank, which affects its appearance; the result is a comparison, not a sale of a 1929 coin.

How to Identify

Measure across several parts of the coin with calipers, comparing each reading with the normal 30.6 millimeters. A scale should still show close to 12.50 grams because widening does not itself remove metal.

Look at the design next. It should fit inside the wider outline rather than run off one side as it does on an off-center strike.

Use a magnifier around the edge to look for missing or uneven grooves and signs of filing. Hammer marks or flattened design details call for closer examination.

After checking the 1929 date and D or S mintmark, the quickest clue is a complete design inside a wider, naturally formed edge.

 

4. 1929 Walking Liberty Half Dollar Wrong Planchet Error Check (Estimated Up to $18,000)

The famous “Headless Walker” is missing the top of Liberty, yet its 1942 date remains clear. The blank was meant for a quarter and was too small to hold the entire half-dollar design.

Collectors call this a wrong-planchet error; a planchet is simply the metal blank used to make a coin. A genuine example should have measurements that fit the wrong blank.

The 1929 guide uses coins from 1942 and 1943 as comparisons, rather than identifying a certified 1929 example. A coin made smaller by grinding after it left the mint is damaged, not a wrong-blank error.

Estimated Value

Estimate $3,000–$18,000 for a genuine 1929 example struck on a silver quarter blank, with a readable date and little or no wear. PCGS reports a $16,200 auction result for the 1942 “Headless Walker” at Stack’s Bowers in 2018.

That coin graded MS62, with no wear but noticeable marks. Its result supports this particular estimate; a different metal or blank size would need a different comparison.

How to Identify

Start with the scale: a normal half dollar weighs 12.50 grams, while a silver quarter blank weighs about 6.25 grams. That large difference matters more than color.

Use calipers to compare the diameter with the normal 30.6 millimeters, allowing for some spreading during striking. The missing design should follow the smaller blank’s edge.

Check that edge with a magnifier for grinding, and have the metal tested without scratching the coin. An unusual color alone cannot identify the blank.

The quickest reliable confirmation is a grading service’s quarter-blank identification that agrees with the measured weight and a clearly readable 1929 date on the coin.

 

Conclusion

These four checks cover estimated values from $150 to $18,000, but another year’s auction coin does not prove a 1929 example exists. Keep the date, both sides, and the edge visible in photographs.

A second design outline, a blank crescent, extra width, and the wrong weight point to different causes. Identify the cause on your own coin before applying its estimated price range.