Boston was hard on travelers in the first two decades of
20th century, since the
quarter and
five dollar bill were not accept by business there.
It all start with the most beautiful of all US five dollar bills ever produced, the
1898 Education Note. Offended by the bare
breasts of female figures pictured on the bill, Boston quickly protested and with the help of the
Society for the Suppression of Vice they quickly convinced the
Treasury to replace the bill with something less obscene.
In
1890 an Act was passed that said US
coin designs could only be change after a design had become 25 years old. This meant that the first chance to change the
Quarter would come in
1917. After holding a design contest Herman Atkins MacNeil’s design showing a semi-topless
liberty on the obverse, was chosen. After making some
1916 in Denver. Production started in all three mints in 1917. Quickly the Society for the Suppression of Vice raised their ugly head and again and
Lady Liberty was forced to put on her top. The
mint acting outside of the law illegally changed the design in violation of the 1890 law.
Mintage of Type I - Standing Liberty Quarters
1916D 52,000
1917 8,874,000
1917D 1,509,200
1917S 1,953,000