1929

The 1929 Standing Liberty Quarter saw Philadelphia produce 11,140,000 pieces, a robust mintage that ranks among the highest annual outputs of the entire series and positions the date as one of the most accessible representatives of the recessed-date era. Strike quality remained at the high standards typical of late-1920s Philadelphia work, with crisp central detail, well-defined shield rivets, and complete eagle breast feathers appearing on a substantial percentage of surviving Mint State examples. This combination of abundance and quality makes the 1929 a frequent choice for collectors building a type set who want a sharply struck example of the mature Type 3 design without contending with the strike compromises that affect many branch-mint issues from the same period.

Hermon Atkins MacNeil's design retains its full visual power, with Liberty standing in her gateway holding shield and olive branch on the obverse, and the flying eagle with three stars below on the reverse. Authentic 1929 quarters conform to the series specifications of 6.25 grams, 24.3 millimeters in diameter, a reeded edge, and the 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper alloy. As a Philadelphia coin, the 1929 carries no mintmark, leaving authenticators to focus on verifying the recessed date relief, the field transition around the date area, and the integrity of the MacNeil M monogram at the base of the shield. Any tooling marks near the date should raise red flags, as the position is precisely where unscrupulous parties sometimes attempt to add S or D mintmarks to fabricate counterfeit branch-mint examples from genuine Philadelphia hosts.

Circulated 1929 quarters remain among the most affordable Standing Liberty issues available, while Mint State examples follow standard grade pricing with meaningful premiums for Full Head designation in PCGS and NGC holders. Heritage Auctions records show consistent supply across most grade tiers, with availability thinning only at the highest registry-grade levels. For comparative mintage figures, see the Standing Liberty Quarter series history.