Most Bicentennial quarters are worth face value — 25 cents. The exception is the 40% silver version struck in San Francisco.
Philadelphia and Denver made more than 1.6 billion of the copper-nickel clad coins for the 1976 celebration, and circulated examples still turn up in change at face value. The San Francisco silver issues are the ones with metal value: each holds 0.0739 troy ounces of silver, worth about $3.95 in melt alone at current prices, and they sell for more than that. With America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 sending people back to their 1976 coins, this guide separates the spendable from the keepable. Values are approximate and were checked on November 4, 2026.
Bicentennial Quarter Quick Facts
The Bicentennial quarter carries the dual date 1776–1976 and Jack L. Ahr’s drummer boy reverse, chosen in a national design competition. The Mint struck them across 1975 and 1976, so no quarters dated 1975 exist. Three versions were made: regular clad strikes at Philadelphia (no mintmark) and Denver (D) for circulation, and at San Francisco (S) a clad proof plus a special 40% silver issue sold only in three-coin Bicentennial sets alongside the half dollar and dollar. The companion denominations get the same treatment in our Eisenhower dollar value guide, and the anniversary line continues in our 2026 Semiquincentennial coins guide.
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Dates on coin | 1776–1976 (struck in 1975 and 1976) |
| Reverse design | Colonial drummer, by Jack L. Ahr |
| Clad composition | Copper-nickel clad over copper — no silver |
| Silver composition | 40% silver (San Francisco only), 0.0739 oz of pure silver |
| Clad mintages | Philadelphia 809,784,000; Denver 860,118,000 |
| Silver mintages | About 11,000,000 uncirculated and 4,000,000 proof, sold in Bicentennial sets |
Bicentennial Quarter Values by Version
| Version | Typical value | How to spot it |
|---|---|---|
| Clad, circulated (P or D) | 25 cents | Copper stripe on the edge. With over 1.6 billion made, wear means face value. |
| Clad, uncirculated (P or D) | About $1–$3 | Full mint luster, no wear on Washington’s hair or the drum. Rolls of uncirculated coins trade as a small premium item. |
| 40% silver, uncirculated (S) | About $6–$10 | S mintmark and a solid silver-colored edge with no copper stripe. Sold in the blue-envelope three-coin set. |
| 40% silver, proof (S) | About $7–$12 | Mirror fields and frosted devices, from the red-packaged three-coin proof set. |
| 1976-D doubled die obverse | $100 and up in mint state | Clear doubling on the lettering and date of a Denver coin. The one genuine rarity in the series — have it certified before pricing it. |
The silver math behind the two S-mint rows: 0.0739 oz of silver, and silver spot was $53.43 per troy ounce when checked on November 4, 2026, which puts melt at about $3.95. Data by Bullion Price Check, checked November 4, 2026. Retail prices sit above melt because the coins only exist inside the original sets or already broken out of them.
The No-Mintmark Question
The single most common Bicentennial question is whether a quarter with no mintmark is rare. It is not: Philadelphia struck over 800 million clad quarters without a mintmark, exactly as it did on most of its coins of the era. A missing mintmark on this issue is the normal Philadelphia product, not an error. The same answer-first treatment of the modern quarter series is in our state quarter value guide.
If You Like Silver Quarters
The Bicentennial silver quarter was a one-off clad experiment; the classic silver quarters it echoes are 90% silver and carry roughly two and a half times the metal per coin. Collectors building that stack usually start with mixed-date 90% issues like our $1 face value 90% silver Standing Liberty quarters, which trade by their silver content with full dates visible.
Bicentennial Quarter FAQ
How much is a Bicentennial quarter worth?
A circulated clad Bicentennial quarter is worth 25 cents. Uncirculated clad examples bring about $1–$3, the 40% silver San Francisco versions bring about $6–$12, and a certified 1976-D doubled die in mint state starts around $100.
Is a Bicentennial quarter with no mint mark rare?
No. The missing mintmark means Philadelphia, which struck over 800 million of them. It is the most common version of the coin, not an error or a rarity.
How do I know if my Bicentennial quarter is silver?
Look for the S mintmark, then check the edge: a 40% silver quarter shows a solid gray-silver edge, while a clad quarter shows a copper stripe. The silver versions were only sold in the three-coin Bicentennial sets, never released into change.
Are Bicentennial quarters worth keeping?
Keep the silver ones — they hold about $3.95 in melt alone and sell above it. Circulated clad examples are worth keeping only as souvenirs; uncirculated clad coins and full rolls hold a small premium over face.
Why is there no 1975 quarter?
The Mint struck Bicentennial quarters through both 1975 and 1976, all dated 1776–1976. Because production of the dual-dated design ran the whole period, no quarters were made with a 1975 date.
Values are approximate retail ranges checked on November 4, 2026 and move with the silver price. This guide is educational, not an appraisal or an offer to buy or sell.