How to Identify the Standing Liberty Quarter

What It Is

The Standing Liberty quarter was minted from 1916 to 1930, designed by Hermon MacNeil. It depicts a full-length figure of Liberty and exists in two design types: the original 1916-1917 "Type 1" with a partially bare-breasted Liberty, and the modified 1917-1930 "Type 2" with Liberty in chain mail armor, reflecting a design change made partway through 1917.

Obverse (Front)

Liberty stands in a gateway, holding a shield in her left hand and an olive branch in her right, with "LIBERTY" above and the date below her feet. On Type 1 coins, she wears a draped robe open at the chest. On Type 2 coins (mid-1917 onward), she wears a chain mail vest covering the chest and torso, and three stars were added below the eagle on the reverse.

Reverse (Back)

An eagle in flight dominates the reverse, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "QUARTER DOLLAR," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" arranged around it. Type 2 reverses add three five-pointed stars beneath the eagle, absent on Type 1.

Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge

The coin is 90% silver, 10% copper, 24.3 mm in diameter, weighs about 6.25 grams, and has a reeded edge.

Mint Marks

The mint mark is a small letter to the left of the date, at the base of the pedestal below Liberty's feet: "D" for Denver, "S" for San Francisco, or no letter for Philadelphia.

Telling It Apart from Similar Coins

Because the date sits on a raised pedestal exposed to wear, many circulated Standing Liberty quarters have partially or fully worn-away dates, a problem less common on other classic quarter designs. Collectors sometimes confuse this design with the later Washington quarter (a male portrait, not a standing figure) or the Walking Liberty half dollar (a full-length striding, not standing, Liberty on a larger 30.6 mm coin) — checking the denomination wording ("QUARTER DOLLAR" versus "HALF DOLLAR") and coin size resolves any confusion.

Judging Condition at a Glance

On the obverse, check the shield rivets, Liberty's head and knees, and especially the date area for wear. On the reverse, the eagle's breast feathers wear down first. Because the date is a common weak point, a coin can look otherwise well-preserved but have a barely legible date due to how it was struck or handled, which is different from actual heavy overall wear.

Authenticity Red Flags

The 1916 and certain low-mintage overdates or mint-mark varieties are the most frequently targeted for alteration, typically by adding a fake mint mark next to a common date or by re-engraving digits. Genuine mint marks sit at a specific size and position relative to the pedestal; a mint mark that looks added, floats oddly, or differs in texture from the coin's surface is a warning sign, as is a "restored" or recut date that looks unnaturally crisp compared to the rest of a worn coin.