{"id":8710,"date":"2026-07-17T02:11:44","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T02:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/findbullionprices.com\/blog\/?p=8710"},"modified":"2026-07-17T02:11:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T02:11:44","slug":"best-of-the-mint-standing-liberty-quarter-gold-coin-silver-medal-set","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/findbullionprices.com\/blog\/best-of-the-mint-standing-liberty-quarter-gold-coin-silver-medal-set\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of the Mint 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Gold Coin and Silver Medal Set: Collector’s Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The second Best of the Mint set went on sale July 10, 2026, pairing a 1\/4 oz .9999 fine gold coin with a 1 oz .999 fine silver medal, both drawn from Hermon Atkins MacNeil’s 1916 Standing Liberty quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the first four days, the Mint reported sales of 14,101 sets against a production cap of 30,000. The household limit of one was lifted on July 13. Unlike the Mercury Dime set<\/a> that sold 96% of its cap in the first five hours, the Standing Liberty set is moving at a steadier pace and remains available at usmint.gov<\/a> (product code 26BM2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s in the Set<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gold coin<\/strong>: A one-quarter ounce .9999 fine (24-karat) gold coin reproducing MacNeil’s original design. The obverse shows Liberty standing in a gap in a wall, holding a shield in her left arm and an olive branch in her right hand. Thirteen stars frame the design. Inscriptions read “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRVST,” and “1916.” The coin carries a Liberty Bell privy mark with the numeral “250” and a W mintmark for West Point. The reverse depicts an eagle in flight flanked by 13 stars, with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLVRIBVS VNVM,” and “QUARTER DOLLAR.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silver medal<\/strong>: A one-ounce .999 fine silver medal with a modern interpretation spanning both sides. The obverse shows a windswept Liberty holding a shield with 50 rivets (representing the states) and 13 stripes (representing the original colonies), offering olive branches to a distant eagle. The reverse brings the viewer closer, with the olive branches now held by the eagle, flanked by 13 stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Original Standing Liberty Quarter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MacNeil designed the Standing Liberty quarter in 1916 as part of the same wave that brought Adolph Weinman’s Mercury dime and Walking Liberty half dollar into circulation. All three designs debuted that year, making 1916 one of the most important years in American coin art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MacNeil’s original Type I design (1916-1917) showed Liberty with an exposed breast, drawing immediate public criticism. The Treasury ordered a modification, and the Type II design (1917-1930) covered Liberty’s chest with chain mail. Both types are sought by collectors, though the Type I is the scarcer variant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1916 issue is the series key date. The Philadelphia Mint struck only 52,000 that year (all in the final two weeks of December), making it one of the lowest-mintage 20th-century U.S. coins. Examples in Good condition trade above $5,000, and higher grades reach well into six figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Standing Liberty design was last struck in 1930. Two years later, John Flanagan’s Washington quarter took over the denomination and has held it, in various forms, ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2016 Centennial vs. the 2026 Best of the Mint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is not the first time the Mint has revived MacNeil’s design in gold. In 2016, the Mint struck a 1\/4 oz .9999 fine gold Standing Liberty Centennial coin<\/a> (product code 16XC) to mark the design’s 100th anniversary. That coin was sold individually at an original issue price of $485 with a mintage of 100,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten years later, those 2016-W coins trade for roughly $1,324-$1,667 across dealers<\/a>, a healthy premium above the ~$1,000 melt value of 1\/4 oz of gold. The 2026 Best of the Mint version adds a Semiquincentennial privy mark, pairs the coin with a companion silver medal, and has a tighter production cap (30,000 vs. 100,000). Whether the smaller mintage and the silver medal justify the higher entry price at $1,540 is the collector math to work through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both coins reproduce the same MacNeil obverse and share the same gold specs: 1\/4 oz .9999 fine, struck at West Point. The key differences are the privy mark, the medal, and the mintage ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pricing and How to Buy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The set is priced at $1,540, based on the Mint’s precious metals pricing matrix at a gold range of $4,100-$4,149.99 per ounce. With gold trading near $4,000 as of mid-July, a price reduction is possible in the coming weeks if gold stays below that tier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At current spot prices<\/a>, 1\/4 oz of gold is roughly $1,000 in metal. The $540 premium above melt covers the silver medal, the Mint’s production costs, and the collector markup. That is a tighter spread than many limited-edition Mint products carry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Full Best of the Mint Series<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Set<\/th>Gold Coin Size<\/th>Release Date<\/th>Status<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1916 Mercury Dime<\/a><\/td>1\/10 oz<\/td>June 4, 2026<\/td>96% sold<\/td><\/tr>
1916 Standing Liberty Quarter<\/strong><\/td>1\/4 oz<\/td>July 10, 2026<\/td>Available (~47% sold)<\/td><\/tr>
1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar<\/td>1\/2 oz<\/td>August 6, 2026<\/td>Upcoming<\/td><\/tr>
1804 Silver Dollar<\/td>1 oz<\/td>August 27, 2026<\/td>Upcoming<\/td><\/tr>
1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief $20<\/td>1 oz<\/td>September 24, 2026<\/td>Upcoming<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The complete five-set collection contains 2.85 troy ounces of .9999 fine gold and five one-ounce silver medals. Three sets draw from the 1916 design revolution. The final two honor the 1804 silver dollar and Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ 1907 high-relief double eagle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Watch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The slower sales pace compared to the Mercury Dime set likely reflects the higher price rather than weaker demand for the design. The series has a built-in completionist dynamic: buyers who picked up the Mercury Dime set are likely to want all five. As the Walking Liberty Half Dollar and 1804 Dollar releases approach, attention to the full series should pick up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mercury Dime sets are trading at $900-$1,150 on the secondary market against an original price of $810. If the Standing Liberty set follows a similar pattern, the $1,540 entry could look reasonable in hindsight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related Reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n