How to Identify the 1917 Type 2 Standing Liberty Quarter

What This Coin Is

Midway through 1917, the U.S. Mint modified Hermon MacNeil's Standing Liberty quarter design, most visibly by covering Liberty's previously bare breast with chainmail. This revised design, known as Type 2, continued with only minor changes through the end of the series in 1930.

Obverse Design

The design keeps MacNeil's standing Liberty figure holding an olive branch and shield within the gateway, "LIBERTY" arched at top and "IN GOD WE TRUST" to the right, but on this "Type 2" version a chainmail vest covers Liberty's previously bare right breast, a modification made partway through 1917.

Reverse Design

The same flying eagle fills the center, but on the Type 2 reverse three stars were added directly beneath the eagle, and the remaining stars were rearranged around the border, giving the lower field a noticeably different look from the Type 1 reverse.

Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge

Standing Liberty quarters are struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weigh 6.25 grams, measure 24.3 mm across, and have a reeded edge, matching the specifications of the Barber and early Washington quarters that bracket the series.

Mint Mark Location

Unusually for a coin of this era, the mint mark sits on the obverse rather than the reverse: look just to the left of the date, near Liberty's leading foot. No mark means Philadelphia; a "D" indicates Denver and an "S" indicates San Francisco.

Telling It Apart from the Type 1 Version

Compare the obverse first: Type 2 covers Liberty's chest with a chainmail vest, while Type 1 leaves it bare. On the reverse, Type 2 adds three stars beneath the eagle that are absent on Type 1, with the remaining stars rearranged around the border. Both share the 1917 date, so these design elements are what separate the two types rather than the year.

Judging Condition at a Glance

Wear appears first on Liberty's head and the rounded shield rim on the obverse, and on the eagle's breast and the leading wing edge on the reverse. On Type 1 coins, the date sits unprotected at the rim, so it wears down or disappears entirely on well-circulated pieces; the head, shield, and date's legibility together give a quick read on grade. Because Type 2 coins were struck for the rest of the series through 1930, general date and mint mark rarity (rather than the type itself) plays a larger role in value for later Type 2 issues.

Authenticity Red Flags

Because several dates in this series carry low mintages, watch for added or re-engraved mint marks on the obverse, and for full dates that look freshly re-cut on coins that should otherwise show wear consistent with the rest of the design. A mint mark or date that appears sharper or more raised than the surrounding worn surface is a sign to look closer.