December 11, 2025
Provided Image/U.S. Mint
The U.S. Mint revealed new semiquincentennial coin designs on Wednesday, including redesigned dimes, half dollars and quarters. Above is a quarter engraved on the reverse side with the Liberty Bell.
The U.S. Mint is marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with new coin designs depicting American iconography and moments in history.
The new release includes a dime with Lady Liberty, a half-dollar showing the Statue of Liberty and five new quarters with relief artwork of the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Gettysburg Address.
The reverse side, colloquially the "tails" side, of the Constitution quarter is engraved with the Strickland Steeple atop Independence Hall, and the reverse side of the Declaration of Independence quarter shows the Liberty Bell.
All the semiquincentennial coins were revealed at an event at the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall on Wednesday evening. The coins will be put into circulation in next year, and will be minted with a dual date of 1776 ~ 2026.
"The designs on these historic coins depict the story of America's journey toward a 'more perfect union,' and celebrate America's defining ideals of liberty," Acting Mint Director Kristie McNally said in a press statement.
The coins will be produced at each U.S. Mint location, including the Philadelphia Mint.
In 1976, for the U.S. Bicentennial, the Mint produced a quarter depicting a colonial drummer boy on the reverse side; a half-dollar showing Independence Hall; and a dollar coin engraved with the Liberty Bell and the moon.
All quarters minted in 1976 were Bicentennial Quarters – 1.76 billion were produced in total and they were intended for everyday use. Many are still in circulation, and because of the country's historical milestone celebrated by their design, people often set them aside instead of using them.
But beyond sentimental value, those coins are not worth anything more than 25 cents.
Christopher Maisano, the U.S. coin buyer and consignment director at Stack's Bowers Galleries in Center City, said collectors consider two things when assessing a coin's value: rarity and condition.
"There is no rarity because of how many were made and because so many were saved and not used. They're all in really good condition," Maisano said. "So there's really no collectible value, but it is still, of course, historically significant."
The new U.S. Mint releases honoring the semiquincentennial (above) include a dime, half dollar and five quarter designs.
There are some sets of all three coins each made with 40% silver specifically for collectors, and those can be found for the approximate value of their silver – a precious metal the value of which has doubled since the beginning of the year.
Similarly for 2026, the U.S. Mint will be issuing five collector's sets of 24k gold semiquincentennial coins that will only be available in 2026.
There are more valuable commemorative currencies, as the U.S. Mint began making special coins in 1892. In 1926, the Philadelphia Mint created 1 million half dollars and 200,000 quarters for America's 150th birthday. Those sesquicentennial coins are rare and valuable today, Maisano said.
Only 140,592 of the half dollars and 45,793 of the quarters were sold at the Sesquicentennial International Exhibition, and the remainder were returned to the Mint and melted.
Based on their predecessor coins, don't expect the 2026 batch to be in demand among numismatists. More likely they will join the ranks of the state quarters and National Park quarters as novelties but regular currency.
Still, the historical significance of the country's 250th birthday may lead some to tuck a few away, anyway, Maisano said.
"When it comes to collecting," he said, "a lot of times we tell people, 'Hey, if it makes you happy, if you like it personally and you enjoy it, then sure ... you should go ahead and buy it and keep it and ... love it.'"
