PCGS Nos: 5704, 5705 

Mintage:
Circulation strikes: 52,000
Proofs: estimated 5

Designer: Hermon MacNeil

Diameter: ±24.3 millimeters

Metal Content:
Silver - ± 90%
Copper - ± 10%

Weight: ±96 grains (±6.3 grams)

Edge: Reeded

Mintmark: None (for Philadelphia, PA) above and to the left of the date

Images courtesy of Heritage Numismatic Auctions

Significant examples:
PCGS MS-67 Full Head (illustrated above).  Tied with one other as the finest examples certified by PCGS

Recent appearances:
NGC MS-66 Full Head.  Ex - Superior Galleries' "The ANA 2001 National Money Show Auction", March 8-9, 2001, Lot 692, plated, sold for $20,125.00, "NGC holder 1285230-001"

PCGS MS-66 Full Head.  Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries "The Rarities Sale", July 31, 2002, Lot 256, illustrated, sold for $21,850.00

Gem Brilliant Uncirculated.  Ex- Stack's "The September Sale", September 12-13, 2000, Lot 340, sold for $8,625.00

PCGS MS-65.  Ex - Superior Galleries "Pre-Long Beach" Elite Coin Auction, May 25-27, 2003, Lot 2492, sold for $23,000.00

PCGS MS-65.  Full Head.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Philadelphia 2000 Signature Sale", August 6-7, 2000, Lot 5874, illustrated, not sold

MS-65 Nearly a Full Head.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February 16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 1670, illustrated, sold for $13,800.00

NGC MS-65 Full Head.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 8201, illustrated, sold for $12,880.00

PCGS MS-64 Full Head.  Ex- Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "October 2000 Long Beach Sale" October 5-7, 2000, Lot 6182, plated, sold for $9,085.00

PCGS MS-63 Full Head.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Philadelphia 2000 Signature Sale", August 6-7, 2000, Lot 5873, illustrated, sold for $9,200.00

PCGS MS-63 Full Head.  Ex- Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "October 2000 Long Beach Sale" October 5-7, 2000, Lot 6181, plated, sold for $8,625.00

PCGS MS-63.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Philadelphia 2000 Signature Sale", August 6-7, 2000, Lot 5872, illustrated, sold for $7,590.00

PCGS MS-63 Premium Quality.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coins & Collectibles, Inc.'s "Benson Collection, Part I", February 16, 18-20, 2001, Lot 1671, illustrated, sold for $7,762.00

SEGS MS-61, Cleaned, Smoothed.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coin & Collectibles' "The Fairchild Family Trust Collection Sale", May 28-30, 2001, Lot 609, illustrated, sold for $4,370.00

Brilliant Uncirculated.  Ex - Stack's "65th Anniversary Sale", October 17-19, 2000, Lot 807, plated, sold for $4,887.50

AU-58.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Philadelphia 2000" Sale, August 6-7, 2000, Lot 5534, plated, sold for $4,485.00

PCGS AU-58.  Ex - Superior Galleries' "The ANA 2001 National Money Show Auction", March 8-9, 2001, Lot 264, sold for $5,290.00

AU-58 Lightly Cleaned.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "2000 Santa Clara" Sale, November 16-17, 2000, Lot 5273, illustrated, sold for $4,600.00  From the Alfred S. Lippman Collection

ANACS AU-55.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 8200, illustrated, sold for $5,520.00

PCGS AU-55.  Ex - Ira & Larry Goldberg Coin & Collectibles' "The Fairchild Family Trust Collection Sale", May 28-30, 2001, Lot 610, illustrated, sold for $4,830.00

AU-50.  Ex-  Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "October 2000 Long Beach Sale", October 5-7, 2000, Lot 6789, illustrated, sold for $3,910.00

AU-50.  Ex - Bowers & Merena Galleries' "The Rarities Sale", January 3, 2001, Lot 185, illustrated, sold for $4,370.00

AU-50 Cleaned.  Ex - Heritage's "Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 5577, plated, unsold

ANACS Cleaned AU Detail, Net EF-45.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Philadelphia 2000 Signature Sale", August 6-7, 2000, Lot 5871, not illustrated, sold for $3,967.50

EF-40 Cleaned.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Philadelphia 2000" Sale, August 6-7, 2000, Lot 5533, plated, sold for $3,105.00

ANACS Net EF-40, AU Details, Cleaned.  Ex - Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc.'s "Long Beach Signature Sale", May 31-June 2, 2001, Lot 8199, illustrated, sold for $3,622.50

Fine.  Ex - Stack's "65th Anniversary Sale", October 17-19, 2000, Lot 808, plated, sold for $2,300.00

Notes:
The 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar has one of the lowest mintages of any coin struck for circulation in the Twentieth Century.  Technically, this type should not have appeared until 1917, because design changes were impermissible under the law until twenty-five years had elapsed.  1916 was the 25th year of the Barber Quarter, which was given a full mintage of 1,788,000 coins.  Despite the legal limitations, the Mint began producing coins with Hermon MacNeil's new design in December of 1916. Production was limited to 52,000 coins, mostly because of time.  No notice was given to the public that the Quarter Dollar had been re-designed, so virtually all examples entered circulation, thus accounting for the scarcity of high grade examples today.

Liberty's partial nudity prompted a further modification of the design in 1917, when her bare breast was covered with a shirt of chain mail.

Mint State examples are scarce but not rare.  Most Uncirculated examples appear in the MS-64 grade, followed by MS-63.  Full Head examples are only slightly scarcer than non-Full Heads; in Gem condition, you're actually more likely to encounter a Full Head example.  The finest Uncirculated examples graded by PCGS were 2 MS-66 non-Full Head examples and 3 MS-67 Full Head examples.

Proofs are extremely rare and have a satiny, slightly matte finish.  None have been graded by PCGS.

Sources and/or recommended reading:
"The PCGS Population Report, July 2003" by The Professional Coin Grading Service