Lot 381
1921 Liberty Standing Quarter Dollar. NGC graded MS-64. Bright, hard luster, no toning at all, the Head not fully sharp but the rivets in the shield are all there, as are all the tiny feather details on the eagle. Tiny abrasions keep it out of the Gem class. All in all, a well-struck and real choice specimen. A key date in this beautiful series, too.
Why are 1921 quarters so scarce? Read on. Just a couple of years following the end of the worst war in the world's history (modern history at any rate), in 1921 America was suffering the post-war lag that usually follows the boom years of any big war. The economy dragged on, with consumers wary of the future, and industry met the crisis by lowering wages but not the length of the working day, which was a staggering 12 to 14 hours per day; most laborers worked weekends as well. The biggest company at the time, U.S. Steel, cut worker wages three times in 1921. Thousands and thousands of small businesses failed as people spent less. So, the economy was constricting, people were pinching pennies, and what silver was about was spent to survive. In the light of all this stark reality, what's the significance of a few trivial marks on a wonderful, miraculous survivor like this 1921 quarter?.
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| Realized $719 |
