1918-S 1918/7-S Overdate

The 1918/7-S overdate ranks as the single most coveted variety in the Standing Liberty Quarter series and the only true overdate ever recorded for the type. The variety occurred at San Francisco when a working die intended for the 1917 production run was repunched with an 8 over the original 7, then used to strike coins included within the broader 11,072,000-piece mintage reported for the 1918-S issue. Discovery of the variety came years after release, by which time most examples had already entered hard circulation and were lost or worn beyond recognition. The combination of Type 2 design, branch-mint strike characteristics, and overdate rarity makes this coin one of the most counterfeited issues in 20th-century U.S. numismatics, particularly through alteration of standard 1918-S coins.

Authentication begins with the date itself. Under 10x magnification, a genuine 1918/7-S shows the horizontal bar of the underlying 7 cutting through the upper loop of the 8, with the tail of the 7 visible in the lower portion of the digit. Counterfeiters frequently take a standard 1918-S and tool a fake "7" into the 8, or take a 1917-S and attempt to modify the digits, but these alterations leave telltale signs: disturbed surface metal, inconsistent depth, and crude angles. Confirming die markers include die clashes in the protected recesses beside Liberty's knees, visible even on coins grading as low as Good, plus a die chip to the left of the lower-right star and a characteristically weak or absent left foot on the viewer's right side. Standard specifications apply, 90% silver, 10% copper, 6.25 grams, 24.3 mm. Submission to PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) or NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) for attribution is strongly recommended for any candidate, since raw examples carry significant authentication risk.

Combined PCGS and NGC populations remain extremely low across all grades, with Mint State pieces especially rare. Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers have set six-figure records for top-graded examples. Read the broader Standing Liberty Quarter series history.