1923-S 25C Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar PCGS MS64 (CAC)

Here's a dramatic coin, with a design that had never before appeared on circulating numismatic art.  PCGS has awarded 113 examples the grade of MS64, with 153 finer, while CAC gave its prestigious green sticker to 11 in MS64/64+ with 40 finer. Here is an excellent candidate to include among your numismatic holdings as a type coin.

Hermon Atkins MacNeil, who crafted the stunning design on this issue (1916-1930).

We are fortunate to have the artist's own words to explain his inspiration for the imagery on the Standing Liberty quarter. It was in an article published in the July 21, 1916, edition of the Aberdeen, Washington Territory, Herald that MacNeil explained his process and artwork:

“It seemed to me a good plan to try to typify in the issue of the new coins not only our country’s development artistically, but also to express, so far as possible, the development of the country itself since the last issue, some 25 years ago.

“With this in mind, it seemed to me that the idea most in the minds of the whole people these last few years was an awakening from the slumber of security in their own strength. It is a well understood fact that strength trained doubles its value and efficiency, so in the obverse of the coin I suggested the figure of Liberty in the act of uncovering her shield to typify preparedness, and had her also bearing the olive branch to signify there was no aggressive idea to it.

“From the point of view of numismatics, as well as carrying out this idea, I placed the figure stepping forward to what might be called the gateway of the country.

“Artistically, you will understand that it is a very difficult thing anyway, even without the prescribed limitations, to express in so small a thing as a coin anything more than the mere kernel of an idea.”