1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 1,716,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,716,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 6.25 g
- Diameter
- 24.3 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A full head on Liberty (FH)
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter rare?
- Somewhat. 1,716,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1926 Standing Liberty Quarter?
- On the obverse, to the left of the date, beside Liberty's foot. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1926 are scarcer?
- The 1927-D at 976,000, the 1929-D at 1,358,000, the 1928-D at 1,627,600. So the 1926-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter coins were made?
- 1,716,000.
What to check on your 1926-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1926-S (2.7 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Judge the grade under good light. Liberty's head is rarely fully struck; "Full Head" (FH) coins command big premiums. The date must be readable for a coin to be worth much.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1926-D
Denver hadn't struck the Standing Liberty Quarter since 1924. When it came back in 1926, it made 1,716,000. In 1927 the figure was 976,000.
The other mints made far more that year: 1926 alone came to 11 million, roughly 6.6 for every 1926-D. If you're checking a pile of 1926 coins, the D is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1929-S (1,764,000) and the 1928-D (1,627,600).
Across Denver's 10 Standing Liberty Quarter issues, the hardest to find is the 1927-D with 976,000 made. The 1926-D is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1920s it's 6th smallest of 22, between the 1928-D (1.6 million) and the 1929-S (1.8 million).
Recessed dates protect the year (1925 to 1930)
In 1925 the Mint cut the date into a recessed area of the step, so it no longer stood above the surface and survived heavy wear. Quarters of 1925 to 1930 therefore usually show full dates even in the lowest grades, which makes them much easier to identify than earlier coins.
The 1927-S, with 396,000 struck, is the key of the recessed date years and is very rare with a full head. The 1926-D and 1926-S are also tough with full heads because of poor striking. The 1929-D, 1929-S and 1930-S are more common and make good choices for a type set. Production ended in 1930 at Philadelphia and San Francisco. No quarters were struck in 1931 before the Washington quarter took over in 1932.
How to recognize it
Liberty strides through a gateway with a shield raised in one hand and an olive branch in the other. The first coins of 1916 and 1917 show her bare-breasted; later coins cover her in chain mail. The reverse shows an eagle in flight. The date was raised on the step and wore away quickly until it was recessed in 1925. Collectors prize coins with a "full head" of fine detail.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Standing Liberty Quarter (1916–1930) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1926 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,716,000 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 6.25 grams |
| Diameter | 24.3 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1808 troy oz (5.625 g) |
| Designer | Hermon A. MacNeil |
Other 1926 Standing Liberty Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 Standing Liberty Quarter | 11,316,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1926-D Standing Liberty Quarter | 1,716,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1926-S Standing Liberty Quarter | 2,700,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
Mintage: United States quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.