NGC - Coin of the Day: This NGC-certified 1916
Standing Liberty quarter is actually a very rare pattern, with extra leaves in the area of the L in LIBERTY on the obverse. It sold for $168,000 in 2018, and Heritage Auctions Coins is offering it again this spring:
https://coins.ha.com/itm/patterns/1...1393-45001.s
Check out Pattern Coins on ebay
Check out Pattern Coins on ebay
Check out Books on Pattern Coins on AmazonDescriptionStruck in silver with a reeded edge. The design elements are struck to the full extent of the dies, as was the purpose of producing a silver pattern for the Mint Director to examine. The shield is indistinct, but this detail was lacking in the die (the Engraving Department sharpened the inner shield on the commercial issue). The surfaces are finely textured and show extensive die striations, which are diagnostic of the Judd-1989 dies. Luster is muted, apparently the product of the Mint dulling the surfaces of the pattern so that its detail could be easily compared to earlier die trials that also lacked natural luster. Both sides show light golden toning with varying degrees of intensity, complemented by flecks of russet around the borders. No significant surface problems are present, and the PR61 grade is less a reflection of the coin's quality and more the result of its creation and Mint treatment. If this is indeed the #3 sample pattern submitted to the Mint Director, as believed, it may well be in the same condition it was when the Director first saw it.
In addition to the striated surfaces, extra leaves on the olive branch, and the lack of the designer's initial, differentiate this piece from circulation-strike 1916
Standing Liberty quarters. The obverse also shows indistinct detail on the inner shield, and Liberty's head is more three-dimensional and lacks the linear strands of the commercial coins.
Although this piece is one of two Judd-1989 representatives known, the fact that all of the olive leaves are intact makes it functionally unique. The Hayes Judd-1989 pattern maintains its status as the Holy Grail of
Standing Liberty quarters, but it must make room for this piece on equal footing. The coins are a pair, and this half of the duo has been waiting for more than a century for recognition.
Posted 04/05/2026 7:42 pm
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