1945-S

San Francisco's 10,156,000-piece 1945 output exceeded the prior year's S-mint figure and represented a modest recovery within the final stretch of Walker series production. Composition followed the established 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper standard at 12.50 grams, 30.61 mm diameter, and reeded edge, with the S mintmark hand-punched into the reverse working die at the lower-left rock position. Weinman's 1916 design, in its twenty-ninth year of continuous coinage, continued from the original master hub through the postwar transition that would soon yield to the Franklin Half Dollar in 1948.

Strike characteristics on the 1945-S show modest improvement over the prior year's S-mint output but still demonstrate measurable softness on Liberty's left hand, skirt detail, and the eagle's central feathers on a meaningful percentage of business strikes. Full Thumb and Full Skirt examples are attainable through careful selection but appear less frequently than on the Philadelphia equivalent. Authentication for this issue warrants attention to the S mintmark style and sharpness, since the surrounding rock detail can show strike weakness that may obscure mintmark alterations; weight verification within the 12.50 gram tolerance offers a routine baseline check. Die marker references published by both major grading services document the specific S punch position and reverse rock detail that distinguishes genuine 1945-S strikes from altered Philadelphia hosts.

PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, certify ample populations through MS65, but MS66 examples combining strong strike with fully original surfaces appear less commonly than for the corresponding Philadelphia date, and the MS66+ top-pop tier remains a meaningful step above routine availability. Original-roll material from postwar Treasury releases supports adequate supply through MS65, though the limited MS66 top-pop tier reflects the typical San Francisco strike difficulty in producing fully struck premium pieces. For more on San Francisco Walker production and the broader 1942-1945 wartime context, see the Walking Liberty Half Dollar series history.