1916 25C MS67 Full Head PCGS....

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1916 Standing Liberty Quarter
Stunning MS67 Full Head
Among the Finest Known

1916 25C MS67 Full Head PCGS. The first patterns struck bearing Hermon MacNeil's original designs were somewhat less than satisfactory, the chief flaw apparently being that the entire obverse was rather soft and indistinct. A letter, dated June 24, 1916, from the Mint Director to the Superintendent, noted that the obverse of the quarter would "have to be made over."
     MacNeil promptly obliged, producing a technically similar but aesthetically superior rendering of Liberty, as well as rearranging many of the obverse elements; among other changes, the new obverse added two dolphins (representing the Pacific and Atlantic oceans), and all motifs were sharpened and brought up in higher relief. This new obverse was readily approved in August, and MacNeil was permitted to place his initial "under head of dolphin on right," per a September 1, 1916 letter from the Mint Director to MacNeil.
     Following its approval, however, this second obverse was suddenly scrapped by the Mint, without MacNeil's knowledge, apparently for reasons related to the relief now being "too high to make a perfect coin." Rather than having MacNeil prepare new plates, the Mint opted to resurrect the earlier low relief model and have Chief Engraver Charles Barber modify it as necessary to conform to the mechanical requirements of the Mint. Pattern pieces were struck, which the Mint Director readily approved with only slight adjustments.
     The Treasury Secretary, however, expressed additional concerns about the "mushiness" of this early obverse design, which had been the cause for its original rejection, and requested that the shield and the figure of Liberty be sharpened. Such changes, however, would have required the engraving department to prepare new 1916 hubs, which was not feasible if the new coinage was to get underway before the end of the calendar year. Therefore, a small run of 52,000 quarters was struck in December with the old, poorly engraved dies, so that the issuance of all three new coin designs could be completed before the end of year as planned, and the Treasury Secretary's modifications were implemented on the 1917 hubs. The 1916 coins from the earlier hub were released into circulation in early January alongside the first of the sharper 1917 pieces.
     The briefly produced 1916 issue is now one of the most significant key dates in the series, and is technically also a one-year type coin due to the design differences between the 1916 and 1917 hubs. The lack of sharpness on the figure of Liberty is one of the chief diagnostics of this issue, which makes this date one of the most difficult to obtain in Full Head grades. At the lofty MS67 level, PCGS has certified only seven Full Head coins (one in 67+), with none finer, while NGC reports just five Full Head coins in this grade, also with none finer (2/26). These figures are believed to include a few duplications.
     To say the coin here offered is "remarkable" would be an understatement. The viewer's eye is drawn to vibrant, satiny luster shining through pale shades of lavender, champagne, and ice-blue toning, while the figure of Liberty and the shield exhibit as much definition as is technically possible for the issue. The importance of this blazing Superb Gem to the advanced Registry Set or series specialist cannot be overstated. This is far and away one of the finest-known examples of this short-lived issue. Listed among the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins.
Ex: The Sweet Bloomfield Collection / FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2015), lot 4112, $146,875.(Registry values: N10218)
From The Pizza Collection.

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

Weight: 6.25 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

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