Iconic Coins of the U.S. Mint: The 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter

By GovMint:

Aside from having one of the lowest mintages of any U.S. Mint coin in the 20th century, the  1916 Standing Liberty Quarter also has a controversial history. Everything about the coin’s inception is unique, from the invitational competition that pitted three talented coin designers against each other to the discrepancies between the initial design and the final product. Learn about the history, controversy, and limited mintage of the 1916 Liberty Quarter here.

The Controversy with the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarters

The 1916 Liberty Quarter features a full-body depiction of Lady Liberty on the obverse, holding a shield in her left hand, symbolizing defense, and an olive branch in her right hand, symbolizing peace. One of the most notable and controversial features of the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter is Lady Liberty’s bare breast which isn’t present in any of the Standing Liberty Quarters from 1917 onwards. The design was deemed a bit racy for the time and resulted in some public controversy about the design. 

Therefore, when George Morgan replaced Charles Barber as Chief Engraver in early 1917, he made extensive changes to the altered MacNeil design that appeared on 1916 and early 1917 Standing Liberty Quarters, creating a distinct Type 2 version that was issued from 1917 onwards. Morgan’s design covered Lady Liberty’s chest with chain mail, changed the positioning of the eagle on the reverse, and moved three of the thirteen stars from adjacent to the eagle to below it. 

The original 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter design is scarce across all grades, though not rare in a traditional sense, and high grades can be particularly elusive.

How Many 1916 Standing Liberty Quarters Were Minted?

The U.S. Mint only struck 52,000 1916 Standing Liberty Quarters. A short turnaround from design to mint caused the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter to have one of the lowest mintages of any circulated coin in the 20th century, giving this design its high collector appeal.

How to Identify a 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter

1916 Standing Liberty Quarters often don’t have a date due to wear on those design details over the years, but have two noticeable differences from 1917 Type 1 Standing Liberty Quarters that have no date: the Lady Liberty on the 1916 Liberty Quarters only has one distinct hair curl, and her gown connects to her foot instead of curling up.

Any dateless Standing Liberty Quarter with stars underneath the eagle on the reverse cannot be a 1916 version. All 1916 and Type 1 1917 designs feature the stars next to the eagle and none beneath. 

Where Are the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarters Today?

Most of the 52,000 1916 Standing Liberty Quarters were issued into circulation. Today they can be found in the collections of lucky hobbyists and on display.  

Prospective buyers can look to reputable auctioneers like Heritage Auctions, which sold a high grade 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter in 2004. Other online marketplaces like eBay often advertise hard-to-find Standing Liberty Quarters. However, buyers should be cautious when purchasing from such venues and ensure the coin is certified by a reputable grading service to avoid counterfeits.

Learn more about other famous coin designs and artists from GovMint’s Coin Authority blog.

References

1. https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1916-25c-standing-liberty/5704
2. https://www.ngccoin.com/coin-explorer/united-states/quarters/standing-liberty-quarters-1916-1930/15704/1916-standing-25c-ms/
3. https://www.thecoinlook.com/1916slq.htm
4. https://franklinmint.com/blogs/history-of-coins/the-history-of-the-standing-liberty-quarter
5. https://coinweek.com/us-coins-a-concise-overview-of-the-standing-liberty-quarter-series/