25¢ · Silver · Circulating
Standing Liberty Quarter
MacNeil's sculptural quarter, produced in three principal design types and often evaluated for strike as well as grade.
- Designer
- Hermon A. MacNeil
- Classic dates
- 1916–1930
- Mint facilities
- Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco
01 · Overview
Why the Standing Liberty Quarter matters
Hermon A. MacNeil's Standing Liberty quarter entered production late in 1916 and was revised in 1917 and again in 1925. Those changes created three practical type families and addressed both design criticism and premature date wear.
Full Head strike designations, shield rivets, date definition, and mintmark attribution make the series dependent on photographs that reveal strike rather than merely brightness.
02 · Design
Reading the design
Liberty at the gateway
Head, shield rivets, gown, and date are the primary strike and wear diagnostics.
Eagle in flight
The reverse was revised in 1917, changing eagle position and star count. Those details establish the type.
03 · Specifications
Nominal issue specifications
- Denomination
- 25¢
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Nominal weight
- 6.25 g
- Diameter
- 24.3 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Series dates
- 1916–1930
Nominal specifications describe regular classic issues. Patterns, proofs, special strikes, production tolerances, and later commemorative or modern versions may differ.
04 · Grading population
How many have been certified at each grade
No static census copied here. Full grade-by-grade counts change and are not republished without the exact issue, service, strike, designation, source, and as-of date. Use the official tools below; verified figures for an individual Nucoins coin appear on that coin's listing.
Population reports count submissions certified by a grading service. They do not count every surviving coin, and a series-wide total is not a substitute for the exact date, mint, variety, strike, designation, and grade. Nucoins listings show the population in the listed grade and the number graded higher when those figures have been checked against an official report.
- Population in grade
- Coins recorded by that service for the exact issue and assigned grade.
- Higher / finer
- Coins recorded by the same service in numerically higher applicable grades.
- Report date
- The date the figure was checked; counts can change after submissions, resubmissions, and database updates.
05 · Issue map
The series in stages
01 · 1916–1917
Type I
The original bare-breast design and lower eagle placement define the first type.
02 · 1917–1924
Type IIa
Liberty received chain-mail coverage and the reverse stars changed; the date remained in higher relief.
03 · 1925–1930
Type IIb · recessed date
The date was recessed below the pedestal to improve durability.
Notable issue checkpoints
Production figures describe coins struck, not coins surviving or certified. Linked issue records provide the context for each figure.
06 · Examination
What photographs should help you examine
Obverse
Head, shield, and date
Inspect head detail for designation, count shield rivets, and confirm the date-pedestal type.
Reverse
Eagle and star layout
Use star arrangement and eagle position to establish type; inspect breast and wing for strike.
Edge / holder
Mintmark and FH status
Match mint, type, grade, and Full Head designation to the exact certificate.
07 · Before buying
Questions the listing should answer
01
Date and mint are only the beginning
A mintage figure records production, not the number surviving in a particular grade. Distribution, melting, storage, bag handling, and later collector demand all affect availability. Compare the complete issue and condition before drawing conclusions from mintage alone.
02
Surface quality can separate coins in the same grade
Two coins with the same assigned grade can differ in luster, strike, marks, toning, and overall visual balance. Review the focal areas and protected fields appropriate to the design rather than treating the grade number as a complete description.
03
Verify attribution before paying for it
Mint mark, recognized variety, special finish, and holder designation should agree with the coin and its certification record. Do not assume that an undocumented nickname or seller description establishes a variety.
08 · Sources
Primary references
This guide is educational and intentionally type-level. Issue-specific attribution, mintage, certification, and condition should be verified for the individual coin.