The Finest Walking Liberty Half Dollar Set Ever Ranked by PCGS Heads to Boston
Kelleher Auctions will bring a major $20 million collectibles exhibit to the Boston 2026 World Expo, and one numismatic display should stop coin collectors in their tracks.
The exhibit will feature the Gerald Forsythe Collection of Walking Liberty Half Dollars Basic Set, Circulation Strikes, 1916-1947. PCGS ranks the Forsythe set as the All-Time Finest and Current Finest set in the category. The 65-coin set stands 100% complete and carries a remarkable PCGS GPA of 66.86.
The Boston 2026 World Expo runs May 23-30, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exposition Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The American Philatelic Society also lists the event at that location with FIP recognition.
A Registry Set Few Collectors Will Ever See Together
Walking Liberty half dollars have always carried strong collector demand. Adolph A. Weinman’s design combines motion, symbolism, and bold American identity. Miss Liberty strides toward the rising sun, while the reverse eagle rests on a rocky perch. PCGS notes that the series ran from 1916 through 1947 and remains one of the most popular U.S. coin series.
However, building the set in superb Mint State becomes a different challenge. Strike weakness, low survival rates, and condition rarity define many early dates. PCGS also describes the series as challenging because of strike problems and low survival rates, especially among key issues.
That is what gives the Forsythe Collection its “wow” factor.
According to Kelleher Auctions, the Boston display will include the complete 65-coin Forsythe circulation-strike set. In addition, seven superb Proof Walking Liberty half dollars from the same collection will appear in the exhibit. Together, the display will present 72 Walkers.
The 1919-D: A Gem-Level Rarity
One of the exhibit’s most important coins is the 1919-D Walking Liberty half dollar graded PCGS MS66. Kelleher identifies it as the only example at that grade with none higher in the PCGS Population Report.
PCGS CoinFacts underscores the importance of the date. The 1919-D had a mintage of 1,165,000 pieces at the Denver Mint. Yet PCGS estimates only 15 examples survive at MS65 or better. It also lists the Gerald Forsythe Collection specimen in the Condition Census as the sole MS66 example.
That makes the coin more than a beautiful silver half dollar. It makes it a top-tier condition rarity from the 20th-century United States coinage era.
The 1921-D: Lowest Mintage in the Series
Another centerpiece will be a 1921-D Walking Liberty half dollar graded PCGS MS66. Kelleher states that only four examples have reached that grade, with none higher.
The 1921-D also carries a major mintage story. The Denver Mint struck only 208,000 pieces that year. PCGS identifies the issue as the lowest-mintage circulation-strike Walking Liberty half dollar.
As a result, the 1921-D brings together two forces collectors understand well: low original mintage and extreme Mint State scarcity.
Why the Forsythe Collection Matters
David Coogle, Co-Chairman of Kelleher Auctions, said the display will help draw visitors into numismatics and highlight Kelleher’s growth in private treaty consignments and sales across collectible fields.
Coogle also emphasized the reputation of the Forsythe Collection. He described the coins as elite examples of Weinman’s Walking Liberty half dollar design, selected over decades for originality, technical quality, and eye appeal.
That reputation has deep roots. CoinWeek previously noted that Gerald Forsythe ranked among the leading collectors of 20th-century U.S. nickels and silver coins, with major PCGS Registry holdings in Walkers, Buffalo nickels, and Mercury dimes.
Colonial Paper Money Adds Revolutionary War Depth
The Kelleher exhibit will also include a $50 “Independence” Colonial-era bank note from North Carolina. The note dates to 1780, during the Revolutionary War. PMG graded the note 30 Very Fine.
Kelleher highlights the note’s “Independence” inscription and bold Colonial-era typography. That combination should appeal to collectors of Continental and Colonial paper money. It also gives the display a direct link to America’s founding era during the nation’s Semiquincentennial year.
Gold Pandas and Cross-Collectible Rarities
Kelleher will also show a China gold Panda set dated 1982-2025.
In addition, the broader $20 million exhibit will move beyond coins and paper money. Kelleher says the display will include five of the legendary misprinted 1918 Inverted Jenny airmail postage stamps.
Sports collectors will also find major material. The exhibit will feature a rare Babe Ruth 1916 Boston Red Sox baseball card, along with early cards of Ty Cobb and Lou Gehrig.
Historical memorabilia will round out the display. One item is an 1876 letter addressed to a soldier killed at Custer’s Last Stand. The letter returned to the sender with the notation: “Killed In Battle/on Little Big Horn River/June 25th 76.”
Another highlight is a 1790 document signed by then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. The document extended a temporary Congressional act that established the post office.
Kelleher Returns to Boston Roots
The Boston location adds another layer to the story.
Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions began in Boston in 1885. Today, the company operates from Danbury, Connecticut, and has expanded beyond stamps into coins, bank notes, sports collectibles, and historic memorabilia. Kelleher’s own company history identifies the firm as America’s oldest philatelic auction house and notes its Boston origin.
Kelleher previously reserved a top-end Super Booth for Boston 2026, according to a 2023 Boston 2026 announcement. That notice also described the firm as Danbury-based and founded in Boston in 1885.
Boston 2026 Public Hours
The Boston 2026 World Expo takes place at the Boston Convention and Exposition Center, 415 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
The show will open to the public with free admission from Saturday, May 23, through Friday, May 29, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will also open Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kelleher Auctions will present the exhibit at Super Booth #300.
For more information, contact Kelleher Auctions by email at [email protected] or by phone at 203-830-2500.
If I was not in the hospital this weekend, I would hve gone to the show.
Such an amazing collection.