1947 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1947

The last Walking Liberty half dollars were struck before the Franklin half dollar replaced them.

Last year of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar.

How many coins were made in 1947

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 896,512,600 coins dated 1947 across 14 issues. That is 58% fewer than in 1946 (2,154,312,500). In 1948 the figure rose to 955,593,714.

It was the smallest year since 1939.

By mint: Philadelphia 433,725,000 (48%, down from 1,473,575,000), Denver 298,695,600 (33%, down from 433,249,500) and San Francisco 164,092,000 (18%, down from 247,488,000).

Those coins held about 25,453,119 troy ounces of pure silver.

1947 coins by denomination

Cents: 484,305,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Lincoln Wheat Cent, down 68% on 1946. The scarcest is the 1947-S (99,000,000) and the most plentiful the 1947-D (194,750,000).

Nickels: 157,542,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, down 28% on 1946. The scarcest is the 1947-S (24,720,000) and the most plentiful the 1947 (95,000,000).

Dimes: 203,195,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, down 41% on 1946. The scarcest is the 1947-S (34,840,000) and the most plentiful the 1947 (121,520,000).

Quarters: 43,476,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Washington Quarter, down 35% on 1946. The scarcest is the 1947-S (5,532,000) and the most plentiful the 1947 (22,556,000).

Half Dollars: 7,994,600 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, down 56% on 1946. The scarcest is the 1947-D (3,900,600) and the most plentiful the 1947 (4,094,000).

Every 1947 circulation issue at a glance

• 1947-D Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 3,900,600 struck, 32nd lowest of 65 in the series, up from 2,151,000 in 1946.
• 1947 Walking Liberty Half Dollar: 4,094,000 struck, more than 50% of the series' 65 issues, down from 12,118,000 in 1946.
• 1947-S Washington Quarter: 5,532,000 struck, 13th lowest of 144 in the series, up from 4,204,000 in 1946.
• 1947-D Washington Quarter: 15,388,000 struck, 32nd lowest of 144 in the series, up from 9,072,800 in 1946.
• 1947 Washington Quarter: 22,556,000 struck, 46th lowest of 144 in the series, down from 53,436,000 in 1946.
• 1947-S Jefferson Nickel: 24,720,000 struck, 20th lowest of 146 in the series, up from 13,560,000 in 1946.
• 1947-S Roosevelt Dime: 34,840,000 struck, 13th lowest of 168 in the series, similar to 1946.
• 1947-D Jefferson Nickel: 37,822,000 struck, 30th lowest of 146 in the series, similar to 1946.
• 1947-D Roosevelt Dime: 46,835,000 struck, 18th lowest of 168 in the series, down from 61,043,500 in 1946.
• 1947 Jefferson Nickel: 95,000,000 struck, 52nd lowest of 146 in the series, down from 161,116,000 in 1946.
• 1947-S Lincoln Wheat Cent: 99,000,000 struck, more than 53% of the series' 140 issues, down from 198,100,000 in 1946.
• 1947 Roosevelt Dime: 121,520,000 struck, 38th lowest of 168 in the series, down from 255,250,000 in 1946.

The 2 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Lincoln Wheat Cent: Postwar bronze, the 1955 doubled die and the final wheat cents

Bronze returned in 1947 and proof sets resumed in 1950. Postwar output kept climbing until Denver exceeded one billion cents for the first time in 1956. San Francisco struck its last wheat cents in 1955, ending S mint mark cents until 1968, which led many people to hoard the 1955-S.

The 1955 doubled die obverse is the most famous variety of this era. A misaligned hub impression doubled the date and lettering. Roughly 20,000 coins reached circulation, many through cigarette vending machines in New England. Also look for the 1956-D/D repunched mint mark and the rare 1958 doubled die obverse, with only a few known. The Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced the wheat ears in 1959, so 1958 was the last year of the wheat design. Uncirculated red coins from this era are abundant.

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Jefferson Nickel: Return to copper-nickel and the 1950-D

The prewar alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel returned in 1946, along with the small mint mark to the right of Monticello. Output was modest in the late 1940s as wartime demand eased. The 1950-D, with only 2.6 million coined, became the key date of the series. Speculators hoarded it in rolls almost at once, so it is found in uncirculated condition more often than worn.

Overmintmarks from this period include the 1949-D/S, 1954-S/D and 1955-D/S, created when a die was punched with one mint mark and then corrected with another. San Francisco stopped striking nickels after 1954. Philadelphia struck a low 8.3 million in 1955. Coins from these years are common in uncirculated condition, but full steps examples are scarce for many dates, especially from Denver and San Francisco.

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Roosevelt Dime: Silver dimes from three mints

The Roosevelt dime went into circulation on January 30, 1946, Franklin Roosevelt's birthday, less than a year after his death. John R. Sinnock's design honored the president's work for the March of Dimes. Philadelphia struck more than 255 million in that first year alone. Denver and San Francisco also struck dimes, with the mint mark placed on the reverse just left of the torch base. Proof dimes returned in 1950 after a pause that began during World War II.

Output fell sharply in 1949 and again in 1955. The 1949-S at about 13.5 million and the three 1955 issues have the lowest mintages of the silver era. The 1955-S was also the last dime with an S mint mark made for circulation. Collectors look closely at the torch, where fully separated horizontal bands earn a Full Bands designation. Most survivors from these years are worn silver pieces that were pulled from change before 1965.

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Washington Quarter: Postwar silver to the end

Production slowed after the war. San Francisco made no quarters in 1949 and struck its last S-marked circulating quarters in 1954. The 1955-D, at 3,182,400, is the lowest mintage of these years. The 1958 Philadelphia run of 6,360,000 is also low. The 1950-D/S and 1950-S/D varieties show one mint mark punched over another and are the best known varieties of the period.

Mintages rose through the late 1950s and early 1960s, then exploded in 1964 when more than 1.26 billion were struck at Philadelphia and Denver. Quarters dated 1964 continued to be made into 1966 to frustrate hoarders. Proofs resumed in 1950 and topped one million in most years from 1957. Every quarter of these years is 90 percent silver and weighs 6.25 grams. Worn examples still turn up in old jars and are usually sold for their silver.

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Walking Liberty Half Dollar: The short set of wartime halves

Wartime demand pushed Philadelphia mintages to 47.8 million in 1942 and 53.2 million in 1943. Denver and San Francisco each struck around 8 to 13 million a year during the war. Because coins from 1941 to 1947 are common in high grades, many collectors assemble them as a short set rather than chasing the full series.

Some 1941 proofs lack Weinman's AW monogram because the die was polished too heavily. The 1946 doubled die reverse shows strong doubling in E PLURIBUS UNUM and in the eagle's feathers. Proofs ended after 1942. Production fell to about 4 million each at Philadelphia and Denver in 1947, the last year before the Franklin half. San Francisco made no halves that year. Silver remained at 90 percent throughout.

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