Standing Liberty Quarters 1916-1930

About This Series

Hermon Atkins MacNeil's Standing Liberty quarter is widely celebrated as one of the finest artistic achievements in American coinage, depicting a full-length Liberty striding through a gateway with a shield raised in her left hand and an olive branch extended in her right. The Type 1 design (1916-1917) depicted Liberty with an exposed breast, a classical artistic choice that provoked public controversy and led to the Type 2 revision (1917-1930) covering Liberty's torso with chain mail. Only 52,000 quarters were struck in the inaugural 1916 year, making it the series' undisputed key date and one of the most valuable 20th-century U.S. coins. The raised date on early issues wore rapidly in circulation, producing many "dateless" examples — a problem addressed in 1925 when the date was recessed into a depression on the obverse. Struck in 90% silver at 6.25 grams with a 24.3mm diameter, Standing Liberty quarters achieved a sculptural quality unusual for circulating coinage. Full Head (FH) designation, indicating complete detail on Liberty's helmet and hair, commands substantial premiums as a strike-quality indicator. The 1918/7-S overdate and the 1927-S are additional highlights in a series that combines artistic excellence with genuine collecting challenges across its fourteen-year production run.

Series Information