1916 25C Standing Liberty Quarter NGC F12

Undisputed Key Date of Standing Liberty Quarter Series

The Standing Liberty Quarter came to be as the result of an invitational competition for new silver coin designs that included three renowned sculptors: Adolph A. Weinman, Albin Polasek and Hermon MacNeil. Hermon MacNeil won the commission to replace Charles E. Barber's 24-year-old Liberty Head design in 1916. With its mintage of 52,000, the 1916 issue is the undisputed key date of the popular Standing Liberty quarter series.

NGC has graded 54 as F12 with 484 finer. Collectors Universe gives this issue a price of $6,500.00 in F12.

It could be argued that Hermon Atkins MacNeil borrowed heavily from available models created by other numismatic artists in order to craft his Standing Liberty design. The most striking example is the parapet and female figure upon a medal designed by Victor D. Brenner in 1909: the Norman Wait Harris Prize medal, which was issued by the Art Institute of Chicago.

Barbara A. Baxter, who penned the essay, "Beaux-Arts Medal in America," wrote that the Standing Liberty quarter is "based on the obverse" of that medal, and that the "palette and brushes of Brenner's female personification have been replaced with patriotic iconography, and the classical parapet is now decorated with thirteen stars and bears the motto 'In God We Trust.'"

Inspiration or imitation? Victor D. Brenner's 1909 Art Institute of Chicago Norman Wait Harris Prize medal (Photo: American Numismatic Society) (above) and Hermon A. MacNeil's Standing Liberty quarter (Photo: Wikipedia) (below).

MacNeil lowered the height of the parapet in order to create a more balanced presentation. The sculptor changed Brenner's waifish artist into an Amazonian warrior. Her palette is now a mighty shield and the paintbrush in her right hand has become an olive branch.

MacNeil took great inspiration from Brenner's work, and must be indebted him for major design elements of his Standing Liberty quarter. Among them is a Standing Liberty for the first time on a U.S. coin. Brenner's artist stands, and therefore so does MacNeil's Liberty. It would be fair to say that if Brenner did not create the medal for the Art Institute of Chicago, then there would be no Standing Liberty quarter as we know it today.