1917 Type 2

The 1917 Type 2 Standing Liberty quarter is the first issue of the modified design that defined the rest of the series through 1930. Philadelphia struck 13,880,000 pieces after the Mint completed alterations to both the obverse and reverse master hubs partway through the year. The redesign added a coat of chain mail across Liberty's torso, raised the central figure onto a higher dais, and rearranged the reverse so that the eagle flies higher in the field with three stars placed below it rather than spread to the sides. The change has often been attributed to public objection over the Type 1 bare-breasted figure, though contemporary correspondence shows the Mint was also addressing striking and wear concerns, and MacNeil himself participated in the revisions. The 1917 Type 2 Philadelphia issue is the most available date of the modified design and is widely used by collectors building a type set of the post-revision configuration.

The chain mail diagnostic is the simplest way to identify a Type 2. On Liberty's torso, fine cross-hatching covers the area from her shoulder down across her chest, replacing the smooth modeling of the Type 1. The reverse change is even easier to read at a glance. Where the Type 1 placed thirteen stars in two arcs along the rim with the eagle low in the field, the Type 2 lifts the eagle, removes three stars from the arcs, and arranges them in a horizontal line below the eagle. Specifications remain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, 6.25 grams, 24.3 millimeters in diameter, with a reeded edge. The MacNeil "M" monogram continues in its position below the shield to the right of the date. Authentication usually focuses on confirming originality of surfaces rather than counterfeit detection, since the high mintage discourages deceptive work on this issue.

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) populations are deep across all grade bands, with Mint State coins available through MS66 and Full Head examples readily attainable through MS65. Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers records show consistent demand from type collectors who want a single high-grade Type 2 to pair with a Type 1. Original luster on early Type 2 strikes can be particularly attractive given that the dies were fresh. For the complete history of the mid-1917 design change and the figures involved in revising MacNeil's work, see our Standing Liberty Quarter series history.