1945-D

Denver coined 9,966,800 Walking Liberty Half Dollars in 1945, a figure roughly in line with the prior year's D-mint output and consistent with the typical wartime branch-mint share of half-dollar production. The 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper alloy was struck at the standard 12.50 grams and 30.61 mm diameter, with the D mintmark hand-punched into the reverse working die at the lower left of the rock supporting the eagle. Weinman's 1916 design, in its twenty-ninth year of continuous use, continued unchanged from the original master.

Strike quality on the 1945-D ranks well within the wartime Denver Walker stretch, with Full Skirt and Full Thumb examples readily attainable on carefully selected business strikes. The reverse generally shows acceptable feather definition, though the characteristic softness on the eagle's breast and the central talon area persists on a share of weaker strikes. Authentication for this issue should focus on confirming the D mintmark style and position against published 1945-D reference photos, with attention to mintmark sharpness relative to surrounding rock detail; weight verification within the 12.50 gram tolerance provides a baseline check against plated or cast counterfeits that occasionally appear in lower-end retail channels. Die marker references published by both major grading services document the specific D punch position and reverse rock detail that distinguishes genuine 1945-D strikes from altered Philadelphia hosts.

PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, certify substantial populations through MS65 with strong availability at MS66, supported by significant original-roll preservation that surfaced through the 1960s and 1970s. Original-roll material from postwar Treasury releases supports the broad availability through MS65 and MS66, with intact satin luster commanding premiums over dipped or processed examples at the gem-grade level. For broader context on Denver Walker production and the wartime output pattern, see the Walking Liberty Half Dollar series history.