United States 1917-S quarter dollar KM-141
The Standing Liberty quarter was introduced in late 1916 to supersede the Barber quarter. It was modified in 1917 to give Liberty a breastplate and again in 1925 to put the date in a recess. However, the mint was rarely able to give the design a full strike (a problem with the other denominations as well) and it was retired in 1932 in favor of the familiar Washington quarter. This specimen was lot 4434 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Oklahoma City, OK, August 2025), where it sold for $5,040. The catalog description[1] noted, "1917-S Standing Liberty Quarter. Type I. MS-66+ FH (PCGS). CAC. The otherwise brilliant silver white surfaces of this Standing Liberty quarter are enhanced by wisps of lovely iridescent toning in reddish-apricot and powder blue that find greatest expression at the borders. This is a smooth and frosty Gem with remarkably full strike detail throughout the design. The 1917-S is the scarcest Type I Standing Liberty quarter of this date in all Mint State grades, and also the most challenging to locate in the Full Head category. According to J.H. Cline in the fourth edition (2007) of his standard reference Standing Liberty Quarters, only 5% of the mintage of 1,952,000 coins has enough detail to qualify for an FH designation from the leading certification services. This dazzling Gem is certainly among the finest obtainable in today's market, and worthy of the strong bids. PCGS Population: 20; 31 finer (MS-67+ FH finest)."
Recorded mintage: 1,952,000 + 5,522,000 of the Type 2.
Specification: 6.25 grams, 0.900 silver and 0.100 copper, 24.3 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by Hermon MacNeil.
Catalog reference: KM 141.
- Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
- Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
- Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.
- Harper, David C., ed., North American Coins & Prices: A Guide to U. S., Canadian and Mexican Coins, 17th Ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2007.
- [1]Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction: Session 8: U.S. Coins Part 1: Half Cents Through Half Dollars - Lots 4001-4586, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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