Heritage’s Oct. 3 to 5 U.S. coins auction in Dallas realized just over $8.5 million, with the top lot being a 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar graded Very Fine 25 by Professional Coin Grading Service that found a new home at $146,875.

Multiple quarter dollars were included among the top lots, representing a broad diversity of types and illustrating the depth of the current market to be able to absorb so many coins offered at auction over the course of the last year.

The Lot:

1926-D Standing Liberty quarter dollar, MS-66 full head, CAC

The Price:

$88,125

The Story: 

The second most expensive coin at Heritage’s Dallas auction was this 1926-D Standing Liberty quarter dollar graded Mint State 66 full head by PCGS with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker that sold for $88,125. The 1926-D issues are known for being poorly struck, making one with fully defined details in Liberty’s head rare. While population issues for this are skewed upward due to multiple resubmissions, this is among the finest known.

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A comparably graded example sold for $64,625 at Heritage’s June 2014 auction of the Gene Gardner Collection.

Standing Liberty quarter: The Standing Liberty quarter dollar is, in fact, one of the most beautiful U.S. coinage designs of all time. Legends about changes to the original version of MacNeil's Standing Liberty only add to the coin's appeal. How much are Standing Liberty quarters worth?

PCGS writes that, for a full head designation, “90 to 100 percent of the detail intended must be present.” Generally, this means three complete and distinct leaves must be present, the hairline must be distinct all the way around the face, hair detail is distinct, and the lower hair curl — or, in the case of a slightly weaker strike, the ear hole — must be visible.

Keep reading this analysis of recently sold notable quarters:
		Toning, key date, high grade: Recently sold Washington quarter checks all the boxes: Demand is high for gem and near-gem examples of this issue. This example had original toning, with Heritage noting, “Speckled russet-red and sea-green patina is present on both sides, and there are no distracting abrasions on either side.”
		Why acquiring a Mint State 1860-S Seated Liberty quarter like this one is no easy task: To understand why an MS-61 1860-S Seated Liberty quarter sold for more than $45,000 in a recent auction, you need to know a bit of U.S. coin history.