Design Evolution: What Came Before and After My Newest Standing Liberty Quarter - The 1920-S Type 2 - Home of the Coin Rings made from Silver Proof Coins

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Published by Dre Dyson on November 6, 2026

Coin Designs Don’t Appear Out of Nowhere; They Evolve

Coin designs don’t appear out of nowhere. They evolve. I want to trace that artistic lineage for you, coin by coin. When I first saw this 1920-S Standing Liberty Quarter at a local show, I didn’t just see a pretty, original, gem-quality branch mint coin. I saw pleasing luster. I saw honest wear. I saw something more. I saw a snapshot in a 14-year design argument that reshaped American coinage. As a numismatic artist, I have examined hundreds of Standing Liberty quarters under the loupe. I can tell you this series is the perfect case study in design continuity, public pressure, and artistic revision. The 1920-S sits right in the middle of that story. Not the controversial debut. Not the final polished version. The mature Type 2 that collectors fought over for decades.

This is one of my top three favorite series to collect. For good reason. The obverse artistry is unmatched in 20th-century U.S. coinage. But to appreciate why a 1920-S with excellent rivet and shield detail, even without a Full Head designation, is such a desirable coin, we have to look backward. Backward to the Barber Quarter. Forward to the Washington Quarter. And sideways at the American public that literally wrote letters to the Mint demanding a change.

What Came Before: The Barber Quarter and the Need for a Break

To understand the Standing Liberty, you have to understand what it replaced. From 1892 to 1915, the quarter dollar bore Charles E. Barber’s Liberty Head design. A classical, almost Roman profile of Liberty facing right, with a Phrygian cap and laurel wreath. It was competent. By the 1910s, it was tired. The Mint, under the Artistic Coinage movement and the influence of President Theodore Roosevelt’s push for beautiful American coinage, was commissioning new designs across denominations. The dime, quarter, and half dollar were all slated for replacement.

The Renaissance in American Coinage

The same era gave us the Saint-Gaudens double eagle, the Lincoln cent, and the Buffalo nickel. The quarter was next. The Mint chose sculptor Hermon Atkins MacNeil. He was a student of Saint-Gaudens and a medalist known for his dynamic figure work. MacNeil was not a Barber-style engraver who copied classical profiles. He was a sculptor who thought in three dimensions. That is exactly what he gave us in 1916.

I have always argued that the Standing Liberty Quarter was the most sculptural U.S. circulating coin ever produced. Liberty is not a flat profile. She is a full-length figure, standing in a gateway, modeled in high relief with real anatomical depth. That ambition is why the series is so difficult to strike well. It is also why design evolution was inevitable. A design that ambitious was bound to run into the limits of 1910s press technology. And the limits of 1910s public sensibilities.

Hermon MacNeil and the Original Type 1 Vision, 1916-1917

The first Standing Liberty quarters were struck in 1916, with a tiny mintage of just 52,000 from Philadelphia. They are rare and expensive today. Artistically, they are pure MacNeil. Liberty stands full-length, facing the viewer, in a classical gateway flanked by pillars. In her right hand she holds an olive branch, symbolizing peace. On her left arm she carries a shield, symbolizing defense. At her feet are a wreath and a sword. The reverse shows an eagle in flight, wings outstretched, perched on a shield.

The Type 1 Details That Defined the Debut

Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper, 6.25 grams, 24.89 mm diameter, reeded edge
Obverse: Liberty bare-breasted, wearing a flowing classical gown, no chain mail shirt
Shield: Plain, without rivets – a smooth, unadorned shield surface
Stars: Six stars to the right of Liberty and seven to the left, representing the 13 original states
Date: Placed at the base of the gateway, in a prominent position
Reverse: Heraldic eagle with 13 stars, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and QUARTER DOLLAR

In my experience grading these early issues, the Type 1 is the most artistically daring. It is also the most fragile. The high points take the brunt of every strike and every year in circulation. Liberty’s head. Her knee. The shield. The eagle’s breast feathers. That is why even lightly circulated Type 1s often look flat. It is also why a well-struck 1920 issue looks so dramatic by comparison. MacNeil’s vision was there. The Mint had not yet learned how to produce it consistently. For collectors, that fragile first strike makes the Type 1 a true rare variety with real numismatic value.

Public Reaction to the Design: The Controversy That Changed the Coin

Here is where the story gets fascinating for a design historian. The American public did not politely accept MacNeil’s masterpiece. They reacted, loudly. Newspapers in 1916 and 1917 ran stories about the new quarter, and the complaints fell into two camps that forced the Mint to act.

The first complaint was moral. Liberty’s gown was draped in classical fashion, leaving her breast exposed. In 1916 America, that was considered indecent for a circulating coin that children would handle every day. Letters poured in to the Mint and to Congress. The second complaint was artistic and practical. Collectors and the public said the shield looked unfinished – a large, blank surface in the center of the design. It needed rivets, texture, something to break up the empty field.

How Public Pressure Became Design Revision

I love this moment in numismatic history. It proves design continuity is not just about an artist’s whim. It is a negotiation between art, technology, and the public. The Mint responded in 1917, mid-year, with a complete redesign of the obverse that we now call Type 2. This was not a minor tweak. It was a public-relations fix rendered in silver.

The exposed breast was covered with a chain mail shirt, modeled with fine interlocking links that you can still see on a well-preserved 1920-S if you look closely. The shield received six prominent rivets, arranged in a pattern that catches the light and gives the coin its instantly recognizable texture. The date was also repositioned and the overall relief was slightly adjusted to improve striking. The reverse eagle was also refined, with more detailed feathers.

For collectors today, this public reaction is a gift. It gives us a clear, datable dividing line. If you see a bare-breasted Liberty with a plain shield, you are looking at 1916 to early 1917 Type 1. If you see chain mail and rivets, you are looking at the revised Type 2 that ran from 1917 through 1924, including our 1920-S.

Design Continuity in 1920: The Mature Type 2 at Its Peak

By 1920, the Type 2 design had been in production for three years. The Mint had worked out the striking issues, and the design had settled into its mature form. This is why the 1920 Philadelphia and 1920-S San Francisco issues are such good teaching coins. They show MacNeil’s vision after the public controversy had been resolved, but before the final artistic polish of the 1920s.

Reading the 1920-S Like an Artist

The coin that started this discussion is a perfect example. The collector who found it noted it lacks Full Head and rivet details in the strictest sense, yet the overall appearance is pleasing. That is exactly how I evaluate Type 2s. Full Head, or FH, is a modern grading designation for a Liberty whose head, hair, and facial features are fully struck. On Standing Liberty quarters, FH is notoriously difficult because the head is the highest point of the design. Most examples, even uncirculated ones, will have a weak head.

What matters more on a 1920-S, in my opinion, is the shield and rivets. The forum discussion correctly celebrated that all the rivets are visible, which is not usually the case. On Type 2, there are six rivets on the shield. When all six are bold, and the shield’s border is sharp, you are looking at a coin that was struck with full pressure and has survived with minimal friction. The same goes for Liberty’s knee and the folds of her gown. No friction on the knee, as one collector noted of his example, is a sign of originality. That originality gives the coin its eye appeal, even in mint condition examples that never quite reach Full Head.

1920 Philadelphia: Mintage approximately 14,260,000. Typically comes well-struck for the series, with good rivet detail and a date that, while often light, is usually readable.
1920-S San Francisco: Mintage approximately 6,380,000. A lower surviving population, a true branch mint rarity, and often found with slightly softer strikes than Philadelphia issues.
Key diagnostics: Look for the S mintmark on the reverse, the chain mail texture on Liberty’s torso, the six shield rivets, and the 13 stars split around the figure.
Date weakness: The date on 1920 issues is famously weak. This is par for the course and is not, by itself, a sign of wear. It is a striking characteristic of the issue.

The continuity from 1917 to 1924 is remarkable. MacNeil did not redesign the coin every year. He refined it once, in response to the public, and then let it run. That stability is why Type 2s have such a loyal following. You can build a set by date and mintmark and watch the same artistic idea repeat with subtle variations in strike quality.

What Came After: Type 3 and the Final Refinement, 1925-1930

The story did not end in 1924. In 1925, MacNeil was given another chance to improve his design. The result is the Type 3 Standing Liberty Quarter, struck from 1925 to 1930. If you place a 1920-S Type 2 next to a 1928 Type 3, you will see continuity and evolution at the same time.

The Three Stars and the Eagle’s Revival

The most obvious Type 3 change is on the obverse, at the bottom of the gateway. Type 2 had two stars below the date area. Type 3 added a third star, making three stars in a row at the base. It is a small change, but collectors use it to instantly separate Type 2 from Type 3. The reverse eagle was also significantly improved. MacNeil re-engraved the eagle’s feathers, giving the bird a fuller, more detailed breast and wing feathers that strike up much better than the Type 2 eagle.

From an artistic standpoint, Type 3 is the most complete version of MacNeil’s idea. The chain mail is still there, the rivets are still there, but the overall design feels more balanced. The public, by 1925, had accepted Liberty in her gateway. The controversy of 1916 was a decade old. MacNeil could now focus on pure artistry rather than public relations.

After 1930, the Standing Liberty Quarter was retired and replaced in 1932 by John Flanagan’s Washington Quarter, which would run for decades. That transition marks the end of the MacNeil era. The continuity is clear: Barber’s classical profile gave way to MacNeil’s sculptural figure, which survived a public redesign, matured through the 1920-S we are discussing, and reached its final form in Type 3 before disappearing entirely.

How to Read Strike Quality Like an Artist: Grading the 1920 Issues

I have examined enough Standing Liberty quarters to know that grading them by the book alone can mislead you. Two coins can both be graded MS-63 and look completely different to an artist’s eye. For the 1920 and 1920-S, I teach collectors to look at five zones in order.

The Head: Is hair detail present? Is the ear visible? A fully struck head is rare, but even partial detail helps. Do not expect FH on most 1920-S examples.
The Shield and Rivets: Count the rivets. Six bold rivets with a sharp shield rim is a premium trait. This is the first place friction shows.
The Knee and Gown: Liberty’s left knee is a high point. Sharp folds in the gown indicate originality and lack of circulation.
The Date: On 1920 issues, a weak date is normal. A bold date is a bonus. Do not penalize a coin heavily for a light date if other details are strong.
The Reverse Eagle: Look at the breast feathers and the shield the eagle carries. Type 2 eagles are often soft, so a well-feathered eagle adds value.

Originality is everything in this series. These coins were made of 90% silver and circulated heavily in the 1920s. Many were cleaned, polished, or harshly dipped. A coin with beautiful, natural luster, honest patina and toning, and no friction on the high points – like the examples shared in the original discussion – is exactly what advanced collectors are hunting. That is why old holders, especially early NGC holders from the late 1980s and early 1990s, command rising premiums. They often preserve coins that were graded conservatively and never cleaned. Their provenance alone tells a story of long-term care.

Collectibility, Old Holders, and What to Look For Today

The market has noticed what collectors have known for years. Standing Liberty quarters, especially branch mint Type 2s like the 1920-S, have come up significantly in value. The 1920-S has a lower surviving population than the Philadelphia issue, and gem examples with CAC approval – the green sticker from Certified Acceptance Corporation indicating premium quality for the grade – are especially sought after. That strong collectibility is driven by strike, eye appeal, and original skin.

Actionable Takeaways for Buyers and Sellers

For buyers: Prioritize strike quality over a slightly higher grade number. A sharply struck AU-58 with all rivets visible will often outsell and out-appreciate a weakly struck MS-62.
For buyers: Do not chase Full Head at all costs on 1920-S. It is an extremely tough designation for this issue. Excellent rivet detail is a more realistic and equally impressive goal.
For sellers: Photograph the shield, knee, and head in angled light. Those three photos sell a Standing Liberty Quarter more than any slab label.
For both: Verify originality. Look for natural silver luster, not a harsh white dip. Original skin is the single most important factor for long-term value in this series.
For set builders: The 1920-S is a key branch mint date for a Type 2 set. It pairs beautifully with the 1920 Philadelphia to show the difference between main mint and branch mint striking.

As an artist, I am drawn to the 1920-S because it represents a design that listened to the public without losing its soul. MacNeil covered Liberty, added rivets, and kept the gateway, the olive branch, and the sense of movement. He did not abandon his vision. He refined it. That is design evolution at its best.

Conclusion: Why the 1920-S Endures

Coin designs don’t appear out of nowhere; they evolve. The Standing Liberty Quarter evolved from Barber’s tired profile, through MacNeil’s controversial 1916 debut, through the public-driven Type 2 redesign of 1917, to the mature 1920-S that collectors treasure today, and finally to the polished Type 3 of 1925-1930. Each step left a mark – chain mail, rivets, a third star, a better eagle – that we can still read in silver a century later.

The 1920-S, with its lower mintage, its branch mint character, its often weak date, and its beautiful potential for full rivet detail, is not just a date to fill in a folder. It is a document of American art, public opinion, and Mint technology colliding in 1920. Whether you find it in an early NGC holder, raw with original luster, or in a CAC-approved gem, you are holding the middle chapter of one of the greatest design stories in U.S. numismatics. That is why it remains, for so many of us, a top three favorite series – and why this newest example deserves a place of honor in any collection.