How Much is a Standing Liberty Quarter Worth?

What is a Standing Liberty Quarter?

The Standing Liberty quarter is the 25-cent coin that replaced the Barber quarter in 1916. Hermon MacNeil designed it, and it shows Lady Liberty standing in a gateway with a shield on one arm and an olive branch in her other hand. The reverse features a flying eagle. It’s widely considered one of the most beautiful American coins ever made, and it looks nothing like the Washington quarters we use today.

We see these in the shop from time to time, usually in inherited collections or old coin jars. They tend to stop people in their tracks because the design is so dramatic, and because most folks have never seen one. The tricky part is that the coin’s value swings a lot depending on date, condition, and even small details of the design, so it’s worth slowing down and looking closely before assuming anything.

When Were Standing Liberty Quarters Made?

Standing Liberty quarters were struck from 1916 to 1930, a short run of about 15 years. They were made at Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (“D”), and San Francisco (“S”), though Denver and San Francisco didn’t strike them every year. No Standing Liberty quarters were made in 1922, which is a handy fact if you’re ever checking a date that looks wrong.

The 1916 and 1917 coins were the first to be released, and the design was changed during 1917 (more on that in a moment). Washington quarters took over in 1932, since the Mint skipped 1931 for quarters entirely. So if you have a Standing Liberty quarter in your hands, it’s roughly a hundred years old, and that age is part of why even worn examples are worth a closer look.

How Much Silver is in a Standing Liberty Quarter?

Every Standing Liberty quarter is struck from 90% silver and 10% copper. It weighs 6.25 grams and contains about 0.18084 troy ounces of pure silver, and that figure is the same for every date and mint mark in the series.

That gives you an easy way to figure out the coin’s silver value. Multiply 0.18084 by the current silver spot price, which you can check any time at Kitco.com/silver, and that’s the general value of the coin based on metal alone. Silver moves throughout the day, so we always suggest pulling up the live price yourself before doing the math. Anything above that number is collector value, which is where date and condition come in.

How Much is a Standing Liberty Quarter Worth?

It depends a lot on which coin you have. The most worn, common date examples are worth close to their silver value, plus a modest premium because there’s steady demand for a coin this old and this attractive. From there, the price climbs as the condition improves, and it can jump dramatically for a scarce date.

Condition matters in a particular way with this series. Collectors pay close attention to something called a Full Head (FH for short), a designation for coins where Liberty’s head is sharply struck, with three distinct leaves on her helmet (on the later design), a complete hairline, and a clear ear. Many Standing Liberty quarters were struck weakly in that spot, so a Full Head coin in a higher grade can be worth far more than the same date without it. For a rough idea of the range, uncirculated FH pieces may start at the low hundreds, while key dates run into the thousands. Treat those as ballpark figures, since the market moves.

What Is the Difference Between Type 1 and Type 2 Standing Liberty Quarters?

Collectors split the series into two main types. Type 1 coins were made in 1916 and early 1917. On these, Liberty’s right breast is bare, and the eagle on the reverse sits lower, without any stars beneath it. Type 2 coins came later in 1917 and ran through 1930. On them, Liberty wears a coat of chain mail, and the reverse eagle was raised, with three stars added below it.

The change came after complaints about the design. Some people found the bare breast inappropriate, and the coin also didn’t strike well and wore quickly. Type 2 is far more common, so most of what you’ll run into is the chain mail version. A quick way to tell the two apart without any special knowledge: if Liberty is covered, it’s Type 2, and if she isn’t, you’re looking at a Type 1, which is generally scarcer and more sought-after.

Why Are So Many Standing Liberty Quarters Dateless?

It comes down to design. On the early coins, the date sat in a raised position on the front, right where it would rub against pockets and other coins. It was one of the first things on the coin to wear away. Thus, after years in circulation, a lot of these quarters lost their dates entirely, and some people just call them dateless.

The Mint knew about the problem. In 1925, it changed the design so the date was recessed, meaning it sits slightly sunk into the surface instead of standing up. That helped protect it, and dates from 1925 on tend to be much easier to read. So when you see a Standing Liberty quarter with no visible date, it’s almost always one of the earlier raised-date coins, struck before 1925, that simply wore smooth.

Are Dateless Standing Liberty Quarters Worth Anything?

Yes, at the very least they’re worth their silver. A Standing Liberty quarter originally contained about 0.18084 troy ounces of pure silver, but heavy wear can reduce that amount, so multiplying its remaining silver content by the live price at Kitco.com/silver gives a more accurate metal-value estimate. That alone makes it worth more than a quarter, and it’s the reason we’d certainly never tell you to toss one in a drawer or spend it.

Collector value is a different story. Because the date is what lets a buyer know which coin it is, a dateless coin generally doesn’t carry much of a collector premium, and it will usually trade close to melt. There’s a small exception: sometimes a trained eye can tell the date from other clues, like the mint mark or a faint trace of the numerals. If you have a worn one, bring it in and we’ll take a look rather than guessing. Please don’t try to clean it or polish the date back in, since that tends to hurt rather than help.

Which Standing Liberty Quarter Dates Are Valuable?

A handful of dates stand out. The 1916 is the best known, with only 52,000 struck. The 1918/7-S overdate resulted when a die received impressions from both 1917- and 1918-dated hubs, and it’s one of the scarcest coins in the series. The 1927-S had a low mintage of about 396,000 and is tough to find in nice condition, since many were weakly struck. The 1923-S is another that gets attention, along with the 1921, which was made in fairly small numbers and often has a worn date.

For common dates, a Full Head strike in a nice grade is what drives the premium. Our advice is to check the date, the mint mark, and the condition of Liberty’s head, in that order, before deciding what you have.

What is a 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Worth?

The 1916 is the key date of the series. Only 52,000 were struck at Philadelphia, and it’s a Type 1 coin, so it’s both the first year and one of the scarcest. Many were used in everyday transactions, and so most surviving examples are worn.

Even in poor condition, a genuine 1916 is worth real money. One APMEX guide puts a very worn example at $5,000 or more, with higher grades climbing from there into five figures. That’s a price guide and not a quote, so the actual figure will depend on the coin’s condition and the market on the day it sells. Because a 1916 is so valuable, it’s also a large target for fakes and altered dates, so we’d strongly encourage having one authenticated by PCGS or NGC before buying or selling.

How Do You Sell Standing Liberty Quarters?

Start by sorting your quarters by date and mint mark, and set aside any that look sharply struck or have a date that reads 1916, 1918, 1921, 1923, or 1927. For the rest, use the live silver price at Kitco.com/silver to work out a baseline, and don’t clean anything. For dateless ones, they’re still silver, so they’re worth keeping separate from regular change.

We always recommend getting more than one opinion before selling, especially if you think you have a key date. If you’re in or around Hamden, Connecticut, stop by Haven Coin & Jewelry for a free, no-obligation evaluation. No appointment necessary, just walk in during business hours (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 10am-5pm, Thursday 10am-7pm, Saturday 10am-2pm), or give us a call to schedule a time if you’re bringing in a larger collection. We’re a licensed Connecticut precious metals dealer, not a pawn shop, and we’ll go through your coins right in front of you, price them individually against live market prices, and hand you a written check to keep. You can reach us at (203) 717-4921, or find us at 2285 Whitney Ave, Hamden, CT.

FAQ: Standing Liberty Quarters

Are Standing Liberty quarters silver?

Yes! Every Standing Liberty quarter, 1916 through 1930, is 90% silver and contains about 0.18084 troy ounces of pure silver.

What is the rarest Standing Liberty quarter?

The 1916 (52,000 struck) is the best-known key date, and the 1918/7-S overdate is generally regarded as the scarcest in the series.

Are dateless Standing Liberty quarters worth anything?

Yes. They’re worth at least their silver value, which you can figure out using the live price at Kitco.com/silver, though they carry little collector premium.

How much is a Standing Liberty quarter worth?

Its silver content (0.18084 troy ounces) multiplied by the silver price, plus a premium that may increase with date, condition, and a Full Head strike.