1916 25C MS66 Full Head PCGS....

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1916 Standing Liberty Quarter, MS66 Full Head
Inaugural Key Issue
Untouched Surfaces

1916 25C MS66 Full Head PCGS. The famous 1916 Standing Liberty quarter is as fabled as any other key issue from the 20th century. It was this issue that was represented by the coins sent to Hermon MacNeil during the first week of January 1917, showing the designer samples of the finished product -- one which differed considerably from the models MacNeil had last seen in September. MacNeil sent one of the new quarters to his uncle, Walter Pratt, in Boston, along with a brief handwritten letter dated January 11, 1917, that read:

"If per adventure you should be tempted to make any publicity of the little quarter -- it might be well to wait a bit as they are not issued yet & I am making a stand for improvements. As I told you they have garbled my design."

The specific modifications MacNeil outlined were fairly minor but would "enormously improve [the coin] from an artistic point of view." In a letter to the Director of the Mint dated the same as the last, MacNeil proposed three chief alterations:

"1. To bring the head of the figure a trifle lower so as not to appear to be holding up the rim of the coin.
2. To prevent the figure appearing 'bowlegged'.
3. To minimize the sagging of the covering of the shield by having it pulled a little tighter."

It is interesting to note that unknown to MacNeil at the time, one of the listed improvements -- lowering the head a trifle from the upper rim of the coin -- was already being implemented on the 1917 Type One dies. This feature is now one of the chief differentiating diagnostics between dateless 1916 and 1917 Type One quarters.

When the Type Two quarter debuted in mid-1917, MacNeil's three initially proposed changes were only a fraction of the improvements made. Although the general composition was identical, MacNeil had completely remodeled the figure of Liberty, reverting significantly to the revised model he had prepared several months before in September. The sculptor called the modified figure "more resonant and purposeful or solidly constructed" and, when comparing it to the Mint's Type One version, described it as "the difference between a good and bad egg, superficially about the same -- but when you look into it, very different."

The 1916 issue (MacNeil's "bad egg"), however, is now one of the most sought-after dates in the series, not only because of its key-date status but also for its important place in the development of this heralded design. This example is among a rare few which achieve Premium Gem status and exhibit Full Head definition. The frosty surfaces are mint-fresh with a hint of iridescent champagne toning and no bothersome abrasions. Eye appeal is exceptional. This is arguably one of the most outstanding examples of this inherently significant debut type.(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 242Y, PCGS# 5705, Greysheet# 5534)

Weight: 6.25 grams

Metal: Silver

View Certification Details from PCGS