Talk:Walking Liberty half dollar

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External links modified (January 2018)
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External links modified (February 2018)
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Today's featured article/January 9, 2019
We've had some problems recently at WP:ERRORS, so it might be a good idea to ask: does anyone have a problem with the current wording of the blurb? Pinging the FAC nominator and supporters (apart from TFA coords): Coemgenus, Giants2008, Sturmvogel 66. - Dank (push to talk) 15:55, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * My only possible correction is shouldn't but required by law be set off by commas?--Sturmvogel 66 (talk) 16:23, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * No objection. - Dank (push to talk) 16:30, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I've looked it over and am OK with it either way, as FAC nominator.--Wehwalt (talk) 16:46, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * Great. Jim was one of the supporters ... I'll be happy to ping both of you if you like, in cases where you nommed or supported, but I figured you had both seen these already. - Dank (push to talk) 17:24, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I think I glanced at it and didn't see anything I disliked. I do have this page watchlisted.--Wehwalt (talk) 17:26, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * I can see there is a possible argument for commas, but I won't lose sleep either way Jimfbleak - talk to me?  19:09, 6 January 2019 (UTC)
 * My feelings are the same as Jimfbleak's. I've seen similar phrasing handled both with and without commas, and it can be argued that this falls under the category of personal preference. Giants2008  ( Talk ) 01:32, 7 January 2019 (UTC)

Difficultness of the design
I'm having a little trouble accepting that the design was difficult to perfect or to mint since the coin had continuous production for thirty-one years.

During the same time period, 1916-47, there were years in which nickels, dimes, and quarters were not produced (especially 1933 --- none of the three mentioned were minted).

The Mint could've done the same with the half dollar, but, apparently, chose not to.

I also don't 'buy' the excuse that the country needed so much coinage that a 'new' half dollar design could not have been made and put into production. The Mint does not stop production of a coin when a new design is being created --- the Mint has never done that. So, to me, the "heavy demands on the Mint for coins" excuse does not hold any water.

And neither does any excuse about time involved in swapping out dies. During a regular production year, numerous dies are normally swapped out due to wear and tear. So, how hard would it have been to swap out a worn die of the old design for a new die with the new design? It would not have been.

For the Mint to continuously produce and continue production past the 25-year minimum, there had to be other things and reasons in play. But what were they? There lies the real story. 2600:8800:784:8F00:C23F:D5FF:FEC4:D51D (talk) 10:37, 9 January 2019 (UTC)


 * When the 25 years ran out, or soon after, there was a war on. They did replace dime and half dollar pretty quickly afterwards.--Wehwalt (talk) 12:01, 9 January 2019 (UTC)


 * The difficulty with striking the Walkers was that the high points of the obverse and reverse were exactly opposite each other, meaning it was hard to get enough metal to flow into the dies on both sides. I've seen plenty of the coins that were absolutely beautiful, except that it looked like Liberty was wearing a boxing glove on her left hand.  There's only so much fiddling with relief that you can do when that happens.  So you either live with weak strikes (trying to make improvements if you can), increase the striking pressure (which shortens die life), or, if it's less than 25 years, ask Congress to authorize a design change-and "they don't strike up well", is not an argument that will sway many in Congress.


 * And don't forget, the Franklin half came out just 32 years after the Walkers debuted. 25 years was 1941, and there wasn't much call to replace a design emblematic of Liberty when we were on the brink of war.Almostfm (talk) 03:20, 10 January 2019 (UTC)

oak
“laurel and oak, symbolical of civil and military glory.”

The laurel is an ancient symbol of military glory, but what is the reasoning behind giving the oak as a symbol of civic glory? Any contemporary reference?

Also, the wording implies that laurel is for civil, oak for military. This should be changed. 2A00:23C7:E287:1900:A827:D4A9:D8C2:7B3F (talk) 17:16, 7 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Laurel is for civil, as to win one's laurels. For the significance of oak to the military, see for example here.--Wehwalt (talk) 21:11, 7 August 2021 (UTC)