1928-S

The 1928-S Standing Liberty Quarter brought 2,644,000 pieces from the San Francisco Mint, a mintage that places the date among the more accessible branch-mint issues of the late series. Strike quality on the 1928-S is notably improved compared to the troubled 1926-S, suggesting that San Francisco had addressed at least some of the die maintenance and pressure issues that had plagued earlier years, though the date still does not match the consistency of contemporary Philadelphia or Denver output. Two minor varieties involving large and small S mintmarks have been documented, providing additional interest for variety specialists who pursue the date beyond the standard date-and-mintmark collecting approach.

MacNeil's Type 3 design appears in mature form, with Liberty in her gateway holding shield and olive branch on the obverse, and the flying eagle with three stars below on the reverse. Authentic 1928-S quarters weigh 6.25 grams, measure 24.3 millimeters in diameter, and carry a reeded edge in the standard 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper composition. The S mintmark sits on the obverse, above and to the left of the recessed date, and the MacNeil M monogram appears at the base of the shield. Authenticators verify the mintmark style, paying particular attention to whether the coin represents the large S or small S variety, and confirm that the recessed date area shows no evidence of tooling. The mintmark serifs and overall punch character should match documented San Francisco examples from the same year rather than showing the cleaner edges typical of mintmarks added to a Philadelphia host.

Circulated 1928-S examples remain affordable, while Mint State coins follow standard grade-progression pricing with substantial premiums attached to Full Head examples in PCGS and NGC holders. Heritage Auctions archives indicate steady demand for the variety pair, with the small S generally trading at a slight premium. For complete series mintage data and variety details, see the Standing Liberty Quarter series history.