The U.S. Mint is issuing special circulating coins to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Quarters, dimes, and nickels minted during 2026 will bear special designs or markings reflecting milestones related to the nation's founding in 1776. The U.S. Mint revealed the coin designs on Thursday, Dec. 11; each coin will feature history-related imagery and the dual dates "1776 ∽ 2026" written upon them.

Five different Semiquincentennial quarter designs will bear the likenesses of founding fathers, including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and James Madison. The dime will have the face of Liberty with inscriptions including "Liberty Over Tyranny." The nickel keeps the image of Thomas Jefferson but adds the "1776 ∽ 2026" designation, and we cannot forget the non-circulating.

The U.S. Mint will also issue a collectible Enduring Liberty Half Dollar and a collectible 1776 ~ 2026 Penny. "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," said Kristie McNally, the acting director of the U.S. Mint, in a news release at the time. "We hope to offer each American the opportunity to hold our nation’s storied 250 years of history in the palms of their hands as we Connect America through Coins." These new coins to celebrate the nation's Semiquincentennial – the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. – are reminiscent of coins issued by the U.S. Mint for the bicentennial in 1976.

Back then, the Mint issued quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins with special reverse designs for the event, and all were circulated among the population just as traditional quarters were. But the Mint did also sell some special sets of coins and plans to do so for the 250th anniversary, with no prices released at writing.

"It's an opportunity for the Mint to do something fun and get people excited about coin collecting," John Feigenbaum, publisher of rare coin guide Greysheet, told USA TODAY. "I love these designs. I think they represent real forward thinking on the Mint’s part to honor the 250th anniversary of the country."

Here are more details on the new 2026 coins, which the Mint has begun producing:

New coins for 2026 include five different quarters to celebrate America's 250th anniversary:

There are five different designs for the 25-cent coin for the 250th anniversary – all share inscriptions such as "E Pluribus Unum," "In God We Trust," and "1776 ~ 2026." Here's the breakdown:

• The Mayflower Compact Quarter: On the coin's front, two Pilgrims represent the Mayflower Compact, signed Nov. 21, 1620, to establish the colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts. On the coin's back is the Mayflower and the inscription, "Mayflower Compact."
• The Revolutionary War quarter: George Washington appears on the front; a Continental Army soldier at Valley Forge is on the back, along with the inscription "Revolutionary War."
• The Declaration of Independence Quarter: A side portrait of Thomas Jefferson is on the front, while the Liberty Bell is on the back with inscriptions including "The Declaration of Independence."
• The U.S. Constitution Quarter: The nation's fourth president, James Madison, also known as the “Father of the Constitution,” graces the coin's front. On the back: Independence Hall and inscriptions "We the People," "Liberty," and the U.S. Constitution."
• The Gettysburg Address Quarter: The coin's front has the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, on the back, there's the image of two grasped hands, long with the inscription "A New Nation Conceived in Liberty."
• In addition to quarters, the dime and nickel will be updated for the 2026 versions:
• Emerging Liberty Dime: On the front of the coin, Liberty will replace President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, but the coin keeps inscriptions of "Liberty" and "In God We Trust," adding “1776 ~ 2026.” On the back of the coin, there's an eagle with arrows in its talons; inscriptions include "Liberty Over Tyranny" and "E Pluribus Unum."
• 1776 ~ 2026 Nickel: The 2026 version maintains the current image of Thomas Jefferson, inspired by the 1800 painting by Rembrandt Peale, and the word "Liberty" in Jefferson's handwriting, but adds the dual dates of “1776 ~ 2026." The reverse image of Monticello remains the same.

The U.S. Mint will issue other special coins, including a commemorative 2026 version of the defunct penny that will not be circulated, but instead will be sold directly from the Mint, and no price or release date has been set as of writing.

Enduring Liberty Half Dollar: The 50-cent piece, which currently bears the image of John F. Kennedy, will for 2026 feature a close-up of the Statue of Liberty and inscriptions "In God We Trust" and “1776 ~ 2026.” On the back, Liberty is passing the torch, "its flame trailing with the momentum of purpose, to a new generation," according to the U.S. Mint's description. A new inscription: "Knowledge Is the Only Guardian of True Liberty."

1776 ~ 2026 Penny: For one year only, it will include the dual dates of “1776 ~ 2026.” Although this coin will no longer circulate in pocket change in 2026, it can still be purchased as a collectible from the U.S. Mint.

“The release of these coins will likely spur interest in coin collecting, just as did the Treasury Department's demise of the penny,” said Feigenbaum, who is also the executive director of the Professional Numismatists Guild, a nonprofit organization composed of many of the nation's rare coin experts. “But average collectors should know these coins, released to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, will not necessarily be rare,” he said. "We just want them to know that they're super-fun and interesting to collect," Feigenbaum said.

---