U.S. Mint coin reference
Standing Liberty Quarter Standing Liberty design, years, and silver specs.
The obverse shows Liberty standing between architectural elements, holding a shield and an olive branch. Type 1 coins of 1916 and early 1917 show a different arrangement of Liberty’s upper body and use the original reverse. Type 2 coins modify Liberty’s armor and rearrange the reverse stars around the flying eagle. Beginning in 1925, the date was recessed into a protected area of the pedestal, making later dates less prone to wearing away.
The Standing Liberty quarter was introduced in 1916 as part of a broad effort to modernize the artistic quality of American coinage. Sculptor Hermon A. MacNeil depicted Liberty standing in a gateway on the obverse and an eagle in flight on the reverse. The design was modified in 1917, and another important change came in 1925 when the date was recessed to reduce wear. The series ended in 1930, with no quarters struck in 1931, before the Washington quarter debuted in 1932.