Lady Montana The Montana Quarter Mystery
Close-up Lady Montana statue on the Capitol dome

Why are there quarters rivited to Lady Montana's face?

Who put them there?

Recent photos have revealed that two U.S. quarters are pop-riveted onto the cheeks of the statue that had stood atop the Montana Capitol dome for more than a century. There are no records of who is responsible, when they were added or why. This page is here to gather and share information on the mysterious quarters and as a place to appreciate the original "Lady Montana" statue — and a case for keeping her where the public can see her.

Nobody knows who riveted the quarters on, or when they were added. She arrived in Helena by train in the late 1890s with no paperwork explaining who ordered her or who made her. For over a hundred years she was known only as "Liberty." It wasn't until 2006 that her sculptor was identified — and the mystery of the coins has never been solved at all.

This site tracks what's known, what isn't, and what's happening now that she's been taken down from the dome. If you know something about the quarters, get in touch.

The evidence

left cheek quarter close-up
close-up of the quarter riveted to the statue's left cheek.
right cheek quarter close-up
close-up of the quarter riveted to the statue's right cheek.
full statue on the dome
wide shot of the statue on the Capitol dome, for scale and context.