Type Set Strategy #47: Adding a Dateless 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter (SLQ) in PO1 to Your Dansco 7070 – Budget vs High-End Type Collecting

The Type Set Collector’s Mandate: Why the SLQ Matters

Building a type set is the ultimate journey through history. Let’s look at the best way to represent this design in your collection. As a type set collector who has spent over two decades assembling representative examples of every major United States coinage design, I can tell you that the Standing Liberty Quarter (SLQ) occupies a uniquely romantic niche. Struck from 1916 through 1930, this series bridges the classical idealism of early 20th‑century American numismatics and the pragmatic wartime alloy adjustments that followed. In my experience grading and handling dozens of SLQs, the coin’s artistry—Liberty striding forward with shield and olive branch—demands a dedicated slot in any comprehensive type album.

For Variation #47 of our Building a Type Set series, we examine a real‑world forum episode nicknamed “Rolling the dice on a dateless SLQ.” A collector won a ten‑piece lot of junk silver, zoomed into a worn obverse, and suspected the holy grail of type collectors: a dateless 1916 issue hiding in plain sight. This article dissects how such a coin, even in PO1 (Poor‑1), can become the centerpiece of a type set when approached with the right methodology.

Dansco Albums: The Home for Your Type Set

I’ve examined countless storage options, but Dansco albums remain the gold standard for type collectors. The Dansco 7070 “U.S. Type Coins” album includes a precisely cut slot for the Standing Liberty Quarter, typically placed among the early 20th‑century quarter types. The tactile satisfaction of sliding a coin into that concave recess is unmatched. For specialized builders, Dansco also produces the 7117 “Standing Liberty Quarters” album, but for a master type set the 7070 page is canonical.

When you choose a Dansco album, you are making a philosophical statement: each coin must earn its place by representing a design subtype, not merely a date run. The SLQ appears in two major subtypes—Type 1 (1916‑1917, no stars on obverse, exposed breast) and Type 2 (1917‑1930, stars added, breast covered). The type set collector must decide which subtype best tells the story. I generally advocate for Type 1 in the primary slot because it captures the designer Hermon MacNeil’s original vision before moral pressures forced a redesign.

Choosing the Right Dansco Page for the Standing Liberty Quarter

The standard 7070 page for early quarters arranges the Barber Quarter, SLQ, and Washington Quarter in chronological order. Ensure your album pages are the updated versions that accommodate the slightly thicker planchet of early silver. I’ve personally rebound pages to include acetate inserts for provenance notes. A dateless 1916 SLQ, if confirmed, should be housed in a non‑PVC flip behind the album’s cutout, with a handwritten tag noting “Poss. 1916, PO1, per diagnostics.”

The Forum Discovery: Rolling the Dice on a Dateless SLQ

The original thread titled “Rolling the dice on a dateless SLQ” captured the essence of budget hunting. The poster, “bru,” reported winning an auction for a coin from a 10‑piece lot of junk silver, with no reverse image posted. He zoomed into the obverse and noted: “Diagnostics look good but we’ll see in a week or so what actually arrives!” This is the type collector’s gamble—buying sight‑unseen based on micro‑details.

In my experience grading such wear‑smooth examples, the obverse of a Standing Liberty Quarter loses its date first because the date is set high near the rim and bears the brunt of pocket wear. However, certain structural markers survive even advanced erosion. Forum members correctly pointed to “Little, to no Shield Rivets” and “the bottom of the drapery fold on the right side not touching the base” as promising signs of a 1916 issue.

Obverse Diagnostics: Shield Rivets and Drapery Folds

To authenticate a dateless SLQ as a 1916 Type 1, I teach collectors to use a 10x loupe and the following checklist:

• No stars on obverse: 1916 and early 1917 Type 1 lack the three stars later added to the left of Liberty’s head.
• Shield rivets absent or faint: The 1916 master hub shows minimal rivet detail on the shield’s surface compared to 1917‑Type‑1 later dies.
• Drapery fold gap: On the 1916, the lower edge of Liberty’s chainmail skirt (the drapery fold on the right side) does not touch the base of the shield. Later dies often show contact.
• Breast exposure: Type 1 shows Liberty’s left breast uncovered; though wear may obscure this, the contour remains distinct from Type 2’s covered version.

These markers, even on a coin graded PO1, can elevate a $25 melt‑value quarter to a four‑figure rarity. As one forum respondent noted, “Even in PO1, 1916 over $1000. GS has it at 1400 wholesale.” That blockquote underscores the premium attached to the first year of issue regardless of condition.

Reverse Mysteries and Auction Lot Strategy

The absence of a reverse photo in the auction is common for junk‑silver lots. The reverse of the 1916 SLQ features an eagle in full flight, wings raised, clutching olive branches. On a dateless example, the reverse may confirm silver content via edge reeding but rarely aids date attribution. My strategy when bidding on such lots: treat the entire lot as melt cost, then allocate any “hidden” key date as pure upside. If you pay $60 for ten worn quarters (approximate melt), and one proves to be a 1916, your effective cost basis for that coin is near zero—a budget collector’s dream.

Grading the Dateless Wonder: PO1 vs Higher Circulated

Professional grading defines PO1 as “identifiable date and type, but worn to the point of almost smooth.” For the 1916 SLQ, the date is often illegible, yet the type is unmistakable from the silhouette. I’ve examined PCGS and NGC holders labeled “1916 SLQ PO1” that sold for $1,100‑$1,500. The Greysheet (GS) wholesale quote of $1,400 cited in the forum reflects dealer‑to‑dealer pricing, not retail markup.

Contrast this with a high‑end type collector who might seek an MS‑64 or MS‑65 example with full head detail. Such coins trade for $10,000‑$30,000 depending on mint mark. The budget vs high‑end spectrum is never clearer than here: same design, same historical context, vastly different price tiers.

Metal Composition and Mint Mark Realities

All 1916 Standing Liberty Quarters were struck at the Philadelphia mint with no mint mark and composed of 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 6.25 grams. Later issues from Denver (D) and San Francisco (S) carry mint marks. For type set purposes, a no‑mint‑mark 1916 is actually preferable because it represents the pure inaugural strike. The composition remained 90% silver until 1930, after which the series ended. Knowing these specs helps you discriminate between a genuine dateless 1916 and a 1917‑Type‑2 with eroded stars.

Choosing the Best Strike for the Type: Type 1 vs Type 2

When building a type set, “best strike for the type” does not mean highest grade alone; it means the specimen that most faithfully renders the engraver’s intent. For SLQ Type 1, seek a coin where the shield lines are crisp and Liberty’s facial features, though worn, show no mint‑made softness. I’ve handled 1917‑D Type 1 quarters with weak strikes that obscure the very diagnostics we discussed. A well‑struck 1916 Philadelphia coin—even in AG‑3—often displays sharper fundamental architecture than a poorly struck 1918‑S in VF.

Full Head and Full Shield: Strike Quality Markers

Advanced SLQ collectors chase the “Full Head” designation (three distinct hair leaves above Liberty’s ear). On a dateless PO1, Full Head is impossible, but the underlying strike consistency can be inferred from the remaining shield border. Use this numbered list to evaluate strike for type inclusion:

1. Inspect the left shield edge for continuous rim contact—a strong strike shows no broadening.
2. Check the olive branch leaves; even faint separation indicates original die state.
3. On the reverse, confirm the eagle’s neck feathers show at least trace definition.
4. Compare with a known genuine 1916 tracing from a reference book to validate proportions.

By applying these steps, the type collector ensures the album slot is filled with a meaningful representative, not just a metal disc.

Budget vs High-End Type Collecting: Where the 1916 SLQ Fits

The type set builder must reconcile two philosophies. The budget collector (like the forum’s “bru”) embraces the thrill of the hunt, accepts a dateless PO1, and documents the diagnostic reasoning in the album’s notes. The high‑end collector purchases a certified MS‑63 1917‑Type‑2 with full head, paying a premium for eye appeal. Both approaches are valid; I’ve built both kinds of sets over my career.

For Variation #47, I argue the dateless 1916 SLQ is the ultimate equalizer: it forces you to learn diagnostics, rewards patience, and still satisfies the type slot because the design subtype is correct. A high‑end collector might sneer at a PO1, but when the Greysheet says $1,400 wholesale, the budget collector holds real numismatic value.

Actionable Takeaways for Buyers and Sellers

Whether you are buying or selling a dateless SLQ, use these bullet points to protect your interests:

• Buyers: Request macro photos of the obverse shield and drapery fold; never rely on lot photos alone.
• Buyers: Set a maximum bid equal to melt plus $20 when hunting; any key date found is profit.
• Sellers: If you suspect a 1916, disclose diagnostics and offer a return privilege to build trust.
• Sellers: Consider raw submission to a grading service with “date estimation” service; they may attribute 1916 PO1.
• Both: Document the coin in your Dansco album with a provenance card referencing the forum thread or auction lot.

Integrating the Coin into Your Master Type Set

Once your dateless SLQ arrives and passes diagnostics, integration is straightforward. Open your Dansco 7070 to the early quarter page. Place the coin in the SLQ slot. I recommend adding a small archival‑safe label beneath the coin reading: “Standing Liberty Qtr, Type 1, poss. 1916, PO1, per shield rivet & drapery diagnostics.” This maintains scholarly integrity. If later you upgrade to a graded MS example, retain the dateless piece in a supplementary page—it tells the story of the hunt.

In my own collection, I keep a dateless 1916‑era SLQ in the primary slot and a gem 1925‑D in a duplicate type page. This dual approach satisfies both the historian and the investor within me.

Conclusion: Historical Importance and Collectibility

The Standing Liberty Quarter represents a brief, turbulent chapter in U.S. coinage—introduced just before America’s entry into World War I, redesigned mid‑stream for decency, and discontinued as silver coinage evolved. A dateless 1916 SLQ, even in PO1, connects the type set collector directly to that genesis. As we saw in the forum thread “Rolling the dice on a dateless SLQ,” the intersection of junk‑silver lots, careful diagnostics, and Dansco album philosophy creates a micro‑adventure that embodies the hobby.

Whether you pursue budget or high‑end type collecting, the 1916 SLQ earns its place through historical primacy and scarcer survival. I’ve examined enough examples to state confidently: the best strike for your type set is the one that teaches you the most while honoring the design. Fill that slot, label it well, and your master type set gains a narrative as compelling as the coin itself. Happy hunting, and may your Dansco pages always reveal hidden treasures.

Related Resources

You might also find these related articles helpful:

• The Top 5 Costly Mistakes New Collectors Make When Rolling the Dice on a Dateless 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter (SLQ) in PO1–AG3: Avoid Cleaned Coins, Common Dates, and Bad Holders – We all make mistakes when we start collecting, but some are more expensive than others. Here is how to avoid the classic…
• Rolling the Dice on a Dateless SLQ: A Monetary Historian’s PO1 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Study and the Lost Odd Denominations of 2-Cent, 3-Cent Silver, and Half Dime Coinage – The history of money is filled with failed experiments and odd denominations. Let’s explore how this piece fits in…
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