The U.S. Mint redesigned nearly every circulating coin for 2026. To mark the semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of American independence — the Mint issued five new quarters, a one-year-only dime with Liberty back on the front for the first time since 1945, a one-year-only half dollar that replaces Kennedy with the Statue of Liberty, and dual-dated “1776 ~ 2026” nickels and cents. Every design is one-year-only: none of them will be struck again. This guide covers the full lineup, the specs, and the sets that collect them.
The 2026 Semiquincentennial Coins at a Glance
Congress authorized the one-year redesigns in the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020. Here is the complete 2026 lineup:
| Coin | Design | Composition | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cent | Lincoln, dual date 1776 ~ 2026 (collector only — no longer made for circulation) | Copper-plated zinc | 2.50 g |
| Nickel | Jefferson (after Rembrandt Peale’s portrait) / Monticello, dual date | Cupro-nickel | 5.00 g |
| Dime | Emerging Liberty — Liberty obverse, eagle reverse (one year only) | Cupro-nickel clad | 2.268 g |
| Quarter (5 designs) | Mayflower Compact · Revolutionary War · Declaration of Independence · U.S. Constitution · Gettysburg Address | Cupro-nickel clad | 5.67 g |
| Half Dollar | Enduring Liberty — Statue of Liberty close-up / Liberty’s torch hand (one year only) | Cupro-nickel clad | 11.34 g |
| Native American $1 | Polly Cooper and the Oneida — the gift of corn at Valley Forge | Manganese-brass clad | 8.10 g |
The Five 2026 Quarters
Each quarter pairs a founder-era figure on the obverse with a founding moment on the reverse, and all five carry the dual date 1776 ~ 2026:
- Mayflower Compact — two Pilgrims embracing; the Mayflower under full sail.
- Revolutionary War — George Washington; a Continental Army soldier at Valley Forge.
- Declaration of Independence — Thomas Jefferson; the Liberty Bell.
- U.S. Constitution — James Madison; Independence Hall and “We the People.”
- Gettysburg Address — Abraham Lincoln; clasped hands with words from the Address. (We covered a related collector striking in our look at the Gettysburg Address quarter.)
Why the Dime and Half Dollar Matter
The Emerging Liberty dime puts Liberty on the dime’s obverse for the first time since the Mercury dime ended in 1945 — a determined Liberty in a stars-and-stripes cap, with an eagle clutching arrows on the reverse. In 2027 the dime reverts to Roosevelt. The Enduring Liberty half dollar replaces John F. Kennedy for one year with a close-up Statue of Liberty; the reverse shows Liberty’s hand passing her torch to the next generation. One-year type coins like these are exactly what type-set collectors chase.
The 2026 Proof Sets
The 2026 Proof Set (the “Semiquincentennial Edition”) went on sale October 6, 2026 at $107.00. It holds all 10 coins in proof, struck at San Francisco with the S mintmark, and production is capped at 480,000 sets with no household order limit. The separate 2026 Silver Proof Set — the dime, quarters, and half dollar in .999 fine silver — went on sale June 11, 2026 at $245.00, limited to 10 sets per household. If you collect by the roll once these reach circulation, our guide to how many coins are in a roll covers every denomination.
Are the 2026 Semiquincentennial Coins Silver?
The circulating versions are not — they are the standard copper-nickel clad composition, worth face value in your pocket. The silver versions exist only in the 2026 Silver Proof Set, where the dime, quarters, and half dollar are struck in .999 fine silver. Definitions for terms like proof, mintmark, and clad are in our glossary of bullion terms.
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FAQ
What does semiquincentennial mean?
It is the 250th anniversary of an event — here, of American independence in 1776. The 200th anniversary in 1976 was the bicentennial, which also produced one-year coin designs.
What coins did the U.S. Mint redesign for 2026?
The cent, nickel, dime, all five quarters, and the half dollar received one-year 250th-anniversary designs for 2026, alongside the annual Native American dollar. The dime and half dollar designs are entirely new; the quarters carry five founding-era themes.
Are the 2026 quarters worth more than face value?
Circulating 2026 quarters are clad and spend at face value. Collector versions — proofs, the .999 silver proof issues, and high-grade certified examples of the one-year designs — are where any premium will live, driven by the 480,000-set proof cap and one-year-only status.
Why doesn’t the 2026 half dollar have Kennedy on it?
For the anniversary year only, the Mint replaced Kennedy with the Enduring Liberty design — a close-up of the Statue of Liberty. The standard Kennedy design returns after 2026.
How much is the 2026 Proof Set?
$107.00 from the U.S. Mint, released October 6, 2026, capped at 480,000 sets. The 2026 Silver Proof Set is $245.00.
Educational content only — not financial advice. Specifications and issue details are as published by the United States Mint.