1921 Standing Liberty Quarter

Specifications

Denomination: 25 cents
Series: Standing Liberty quarter
Designer: Hermon A. MacNeil
Years of issue: 1921
Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Weight: 6.25 g
Diameter: 24.3 mm
Edge: Reeded
Mintage: 1916000
Key mintages: 1,916,000 struck at Philadelphia in 1921, the lowest Philadelphia mintage of the series (PCGS).

Melt value: $11.66silver $64.40/ozt, copper $0.44/ozt · prices as of Sep 16, 2026

AI-generated illustration (no usable free real photo found).

1,916,000 struck — the lowest-mintage Standing Liberty quarter of the 1920s and the series' Philadelphia key.

History

Designed by sculptor Hermon A. MacNeil as part of the 1915–16 replacement of the Barber coinage. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)
Struck during 1921, when the Mint prioritized silver dollar coinage — both Morgan and Peace dollars resumed that year — leaving quarter production at a series low for Philadelphia. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)
The pre-1925 design carries the date on a raised pedestal, which wore away rapidly in circulation; engravers recessed the date below the rim in 1925. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)
MacNeil’s Liberty, depicted stepping forward with shield and olive branch, was also used as Columbia Pictures’ first logo from 1924 to 1927. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)

Mintage of 1,916,000 — the lowest Philadelphia mintage of the series. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)
In 1921 the Mint devoted capacity to silver dollar coinage, sharply cutting quarter output. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)
Pre-1925 raised-date issues wear quickly, so original dated examples are scarce in higher grades. (Wikipedia; PCGS, accessed 2026-09-16)

Date readability is critical on the 1921: the date sits on a raised pedestal that wears rapidly, and dateless pieces trade for a fraction of dated examples.
The Full Head designation requires complete head detail on Liberty and commands strong premiums over non-Full Head examples.
All 1921 quarters were struck at Philadelphia and carry no mint mark.
No published diagnostics found in consulted references — certification recommended.
No freely licensed exact-date photo was verifiable — the available Commons image is a 1924-D Type 2 substitute. This entry uses an AI illustration pending a verified photo.