By William T. Gibbs
COIN WORLD Staff
Could any quarter dollar carry designs more beautiful than Hermon A. MacNeil's Standing Liberty obverse and Flying Eagle reverse?
MacNeil's coin is arguably more attractive than the quarter dollars that preceded it; and its replacement, the Washington quarter dollar with its rather bland designs, isn't in the same class design wise. The Standing Liberty quarter dollar is, in fact, one of the most beautiful U.S. coinage designs of all time.
The controversy over the original version of MacNeil's Standing Liberty only adds to the coin's appeal.
The Standing Liberty quarter dollar represents two turning points in U.S. coinage design. Its introduction as a 1916 replacement for the Barber quarter dollar represented a turn from uniformity (Barber's Liberty Head design on the dime, quarter dollar and half dollar was replaced with designs unique to each denomination). Its replacement in 1932 by the Washington quarter dollar represented the last time that denomination changed design after the mandatory 25-year period. Since then, Mint officials have reinterpreted the law as no longer requiring design changes every 25 years (as they once did) but as permitting designs to change.
The 1916 and first 1917 Standing Liberty quarter dollars depict Liberty with an uncovered right breast. MacNeil modified the design in 1917 by adding a coat of chain mail to Liberty that covers her exposed flesh. While writers have claimed for years the design change was in reaction to pressure from a public offended by Liberty's partial nudity, no one has ever come forward with contemporary news accounts or Mint records indicating anything of the sort. Instead, the change in design appears to be militaristic in nature as the United States prepared for war against Germany. MacNeil's other sculptures from this period also show a similar transition, from partially unclad female figures unprepared for the coming war to strong female figures wearing chain mail and ready to defend the nation.
In addition, the flying eagle on the reverse was raised slightly, and the stars rearranged with three of them moved to below the eagle.
From the viewpoint of variety collectors, there's just one major die variety: the 1918/7-S coin. While many consider it an overdate, it's also a doubled die, with the obverse die that struck it hubbed with two different hubs, one dated 1917 and a second dated 1918.
There are four scarce dates: the 1916, of which just 52,000 were struck; the 1918/7-S, which isn't necessary for a complete date and Mint mark collection; the 1921, of which 1.9 million were struck; and the 1923-S, of which 1.36 million pieces were coined.
Specialists look for "full head" specimens: These are coins that were particularly well struck, and that feature Liberty with a sharply detailed head, with clearly defined features.
The Standing Liberty quarter dollar series is a good one to collect, if you have the financial means to do so. It is also a beautiful series of coins for anyone who loves coins.