1917 Type 1 Standing Liberty Quarter

The Type 1 Standing Liberty quarter represents the design as it was originally introduced, featuring Liberty with her right breast exposed above the shield. It was struck in very limited numbers in 1916 and more broadly in early 1917 before the design was revised.

Type collectors seek a Type 1 example separately from the later Type 2 design, and the style is notable both artistically and historically as one of several early twentieth century U.S. coin designs to depict partial nudity.

The Standing Liberty quarter was designed by sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil and introduced in late 1916, replacing the Barber quarter. MacNeil's original design showed Liberty standing in a gateway with her right breast bare, a classical allegorical treatment in keeping with contemporary American coinage aesthetics.

Early in 1917, reportedly in response to public sensitivities about the exposed breast, the Mint modified the design to add a chain mail covering, creating what collectors call Type 2. All 1916-dated quarters and the first several months of 1917 production are Type 1, making the Type 1 subtype of the series notably briefer in production than Type 2.

On the obverse, Liberty stands in a gateway, holding a shield in her left arm and an olive branch in her right hand, with her right breast bare above the shield. The reverse shows an eagle in flight, with stars positioned along the lower portion of the design in a pattern distinct from the later Type 2 reverse.

Mintmarks, when present, appear on the obverse to the left of the date. Collectors distinguish Type 1 from Type 2 primarily by the bare breast on the obverse and by the reverse star arrangement, since Type 2 coins show Liberty's chest covered by chain mail and an additional group of stars beneath the eagle.

Type 1 quarters, especially the low-mintage 1916 date, can be valuable, while the more broadly struck 1917 Type 1 issues are more affordable but still command a premium over the later Type 2 coins as a distinct, shorter-lived subtype. Full Head examples, showing complete detail in Liberty's hair, are especially prized and bring significant premiums over standard strikes.

Condition sensitivity is high across the series because Standing Liberty quarters were prone to weak striking and rapid wear on the high points of the design, so well-struck, high-grade coins are disproportionately valuable compared to worn examples.