1917-S Standing Liberty Quarter: Type 1's Last Stand
Coin Encyclopedia · 8 min read · Published November 7, 2026
The year 1917 holds two different Standing Liberty quarters, and the San Francisco issue of the first half of the year is the one collectors chase. The 1917-S Type 1 was struck before the design changed in mid-1917, while Liberty still showed the original bare breast. San Francisco struck 552,000 of them, and then the dies changed and the Type 1 was gone for good.
That mid-year switch is what makes this coin a variety coin as much as a date coin. A 1917-S can be a common Type 2 or a scarce Type 1, and the difference is visible on Liberty’s chest. This page explains the change, where the S sits, and how to read a coin that spent more than a century in circulation.
Two types, one year
In the first half of 1917, the Standing Liberty quarter looked the way Hermon MacNeil sculpted it: Liberty’s breast bare above the drapery, the figure classical and unclothed. By the middle of the year, the design had changed. A chain-mail vest was added to cover the breast, the stars and the date were tidied, and the type collectors call Type 2 took over at all three mints. The 1917-S Type 1 is therefore a coin of the first half of the year only, struck before the switch.
San Francisco struck 552,000 Type 1 quarters, a modest number beside the Type 2 output that followed. The two types circulated side by side for decades, and the Type 1 coins wore the same way the Type 2 coins did — but the Type 1 survivors are the scarcer of the two San Francisco issues, and the type is the first thing a collector checks on any 1917-S. Hold the coin up and look at Liberty’s chest: bare means Type 1, chain mail means Type 2, and the answer changes the coin completely.
Where the S sits
Unlike the Barber and Seated Liberty quarters, where the mint mark lives on the reverse, the Standing Liberty quarter carries its mint mark on the obverse, to the left of the date, just above the rim. On the 1917-S it is a small S, tucked into the field beside the date. It is easy to miss on a worn coin, and it is the whole difference between a common Philadelphia 1917 and a scarce San Francisco Type 1.
Check the letter under a loupe, and check the date beside it. The date on a 1917-S Type 1 is raised, not recessed — the recessed date that protects later Standing Liberty quarters did not arrive until 1925 — so on worn examples the date is often the first detail to fade. A coin with a clear date, a clear S, and a bare breast is a coin worth a professional opinion.
How a Type 1 wears
Standing Liberty quarters wear from the top down. Liberty’s head goes first, then the shield, then the date. On a Type 1 the bare breast is also a high point, and it softens early. A coin with even wear across the obverse has circulated naturally; a coin with one area sharp and another flat has usually been damaged, cleaned, or altered.
Original surfaces matter as much as wear. A 1917-S Type 1 that was never cleaned shows a soft grey tone with a gentle lustre in the protected areas around the letters and the date. A cleaned coin looks bright and washed out, with fine parallel hairlines visible under a loupe. Cleaning is the single most common way a scarce coin loses collector value, and it cannot be reversed.
What our guide shows for the 1917-S Type 1
Our value guide has not yet researched grade-by-grade figures for this date, so the table below shows “—” for every grade. That blank is honest: the mintage of 552,000 is documented, the Type 1 status is documented, and a guessed figure would help nobody. Grade figures will be added here when they are researched.
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Good (G-4) | — |
| Fine (F-12) | — |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | — |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | — |
| Mint State 60 (MS-60) | — |
| Mint State 65 (MS-65) | — |
Guide values reviewed November 5, 2026 — figures update live from our Worker.
What can be said with confidence is the shape of the market. Type 1 coins are the scarcer of the two 1917 San Francisco issues, and Full Head examples — Liberty’s hair fully struck, the ear clearly visible — are the rarest of all. Worn examples with a clear date, a clear S, and a bare breast are the ones collectors encounter most often, and they are the ones that reward a careful look.
The silver underneath
Every Standing Liberty quarter is 90% silver, struck on a 6.25-gram planchet, 24.3 millimetres across, with a reeded edge and about 0.18 troy ounces of pure silver. That metal gives every genuine example a floor: $9.42. Silver moves daily, so the floor moves with it, but the floor is real — no genuine 1917-S Type 1 is worth less than its metal.
Metal floor updates live from our Worker — last updated November 7, 2026.
Use the weight as a quick test. A genuine coin weighs 6.25 grams on a pocket scale. A light coin, a coin with a soft or uneven edge, or a coin whose surfaces look cast rather than struck should be checked by a professional before any decision is made about it.
Handling a mid-year rarity
Do not clean it. Do not polish it. Do not dip it. Cleaning removes original surfaces and lowers collector value permanently, and on a coin this scarce the loss is real. Handle it by the edges only, store it in an acid-free holder, and keep it dry. If the coin is raw, photograph both sides in good light and keep a note of where it came from.
Then get it certified, especially if it looks uncirculated or Full Head. A professional opinion on authenticity, type, and grade is the standard for a 1917-S Type 1, and it protects the coin, the collector, and everyone who handles it afterwards.
Latest reported results for this coin
Checking for newly reported results…
Your questions, answered
How many 1917-S Type 1 Standing Liberty quarters were struck?
San Francisco struck 552,000 Type 1 Standing Liberty quarters in 1917, before the mid-year design change added the chain-mail vest and created Type 2.
How do I tell a Type 1 from a Type 2 Standing Liberty quarter?
Look at Liberty's chest: Type 1 shows the original bare breast, while Type 2 shows a chain-mail vest covering it. The change happened in mid-1917, so the year exists in both types.
Where is the mint mark on a 1917-S Standing Liberty quarter?
The S is on the obverse, to the left of the date just above the rim — not on the reverse like the Barber and Seated Liberty quarters. Check it under a loupe on worn coins.
Is the 1917-S Type 1 Standing Liberty quarter silver?
Yes. Every Standing Liberty quarter is 90% silver, 6.25 grams, with about 0.18 troy ounces of pure silver. The live metal floor for this coin is in the specs section above, and it moves with the silver market.
Should a 1917-S Type 1 quarter be certified?
Yes, especially if the date and mint mark are clear or the coin looks uncirculated. Certification settles the type, guards against altered mint marks, and is where the Full Head premium is decided.
Check your 1917-S
Run the date and mint mark through the free Coin Value Checker for an instant estimate, or get a Grade-or-Not verdict on whether certification is worthwhile. The full series guide is here: Standing Liberty Quarter Value and Key Dates. The first-year coin is the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter, and the 1918/7-S Standing Liberty Quarter is the famous overdate of the series.
One year, two designs, and a vest that changed everything — the 1917-S Type 1 rewards the collector who looks at Liberty's chest before anything else, and who never confuses a mid-year switch for a small detail.
This guide is for education — learn the coin first, and get a professional opinion before buying or selling.