Minted in the final months of World War II, this coin has seen things I can only imagine. It’s worn, sure, but that just proves it served its purpose — passing through the hands of generations, maybe used to buy groceries during rationing, or tucked away by a soldier coming home from overseas. It’s not worth much more than its silver content, but to me, it’s priceless.
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I’m a huge fan of what’s affectionately called “junk silver” in the States — though I prefer the term constitutional silver. Coins like this 1945 half dollar aren’t junk at all. They’re 90% silver workhorses that stood the test of time. The US managed to keep silver in its currency for decades longer than we did here in the UK. You Americans don’t know how lucky you are — you can still stumble upon silver in pocket change if you’re lucky. Over here, decimalisation in 1971 saw the final nail driven into circulating silver. All our coins were converted to copper and cupro-nickel alloys, and the silver vanished almost overnight.
UK -1971 coin set
Even copper had its run in our coins until 1997. After that, we were left with cheap alloys, and a circulation of coins that feel, well… uninspiring. That’s why I love American pre-1965 silver so much. It’s a reminder of when coins meant something — when money had intrinsic value and designs like the Walking Liberty weren’t just currency, but art.
My 1945 half dollar may be humble, but it's a keeper. It represents a time when coins had both purpose and presence — a tangible link to a richer, more tactile past. So while it may not fetch a premium from collectors, it holds a prime spot in my stack