1919-D Standing Liberty Quarter

The 1919-D is regarded as a semi-key date within the Standing Liberty quarter series, more available than the great keys like 1916 or 1923-S but still considerably scarcer than typical dates, particularly in higher grades. It is a popular target for collectors filling out a Denver-mint subset or a full date collection.

The coin is especially notable for being difficult to find with a fully struck Full Head, a condition rarity that adds significantly to its desirability among specialists.

The Standing Liberty quarter series, designed by Hermon MacNeil and struck in its modified Type 2 form from mid-1917 onward, saw the Denver Mint produce a moderate but comparatively limited number of quarters in 1919. Striking quality at Denver during this period was often inconsistent, contributing to the relative rarity of sharply detailed examples.

Over the following decades, as circulation wore down most surviving specimens, the 1919-D came to be recognized by collectors as harder to find in choice condition than its mintage figures alone might suggest.

The 1919-D displays the standard Type 2 design: Liberty standing in a gateway with chain mail across her chest, a shield in one arm and an olive branch in the other, and an eagle in flight with three stars beneath it on the reverse. The D mintmark is found on the obverse to the left of the date.

Because the recessed date pedestal was not yet in use, the raised date on 1919-D coins can wear down on older circulated pieces, and collectors should examine the date and mintmark area carefully for legibility. Full Head examples show crisp, complete detail in Liberty's hair and helmet, a feature notably scarce for this date.

The 1919-D trades at a premium over common dates in the series across most grades, with the gap widening considerably in mint state and especially for Full Head examples, which are quite rare for this issue. It is frequently cited in price guides as one of the more challenging semi-key dates to locate in top condition.

As with the series broadly, strike quality has an outsized effect on value, so buyers often pay significantly more for a well-struck example than for an average-strike coin of identical numerical grade.