A Smithsonian magazine special report
See the New Quarter Honoring Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence That Enters Circulation Next Week, Ahead of America’s 250th Birthday
The design is one of several coin denominations, and the third of five new quarters, made specially for the country’s semiquincentennial
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A new commemorative quarter honoring the Declaration of Independence and its primary author, founding father Thomas Jefferson, will enter public circulation beginning June 1, the United States Mint announced this week.
The coin, which will be shipped to the Federal Reserve for distribution to commercial banks and financial institutions, features Jefferson, the third U.S. president, in profile on its obverse (heads) side. Above his head are the words “E Pluribus Unum,” which translates from Latin to mean “out of many, one,” while “In God We Trust” and “1776 ~ 2026” are inscribed below.
On the coin’s reverse (tails) side, “The Declaration of Independence,” “Quarter Dollar,” “Liberty” and “United States of America” frame an image of the cracked Liberty Bell, located in Philadelphia. The famed bell once hung in Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
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No historical evidence points to the bell actually ringing on July 4, 1776, reported Jon Caroulis for WHYY in 2024, but nevertheless the artifact holds significance for many Americans, both for its symbolism and its physical tie to the people of the Revolutionary War era.
“I’ve always loved three-dimensional objects as evidence of the past,” said Karie Diethorn, chief curator at Independence National Historical Park, to WHYY. “The human beings from the past aren’t here, but their stuff is here. I continue to be absolutely obsessed with that idea, that I can hold in my hand something that someone held 500 years ago. And to me, the universality of being human is embedded in these artifacts.”
The tangibility of a coin fits neatly with that idea. It’s one reason why the U.S. Mint is pressing several new coins this year to commemorate America’s semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary.
“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,” Kristie McNally, then acting mint director, said in a December statement announcing their creation. “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.”
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The Declaration of Independence quarter is the third of five new quarter-dollar designs to be sent into circulation. It joins the Mayflower Compact quarter, which features two pilgrims and the eponymous ship, which landed in Cape Cod in 1620; and the Revolutionary War quarter, which depicts George Washington and a soldier in the Continental Army at Valley Forge.
The U.S. Constitution quarter, featuring James Madison and Independence Hall, and the Gettysburg Address quarter, featuring Abraham Lincoln and two hands grasping each other below the inscription “A New Nation Conceived In Liberty,” are planned for later this year.
“Money is history you can hold in your hand,” Mark Lighterman, president of the American Numismatic Association, said in an April statement in celebration of National Coin Week. “From the earliest days of the Republic, issuing our own coinage has represented more than just commerce. It symbolizes national identity, sovereignty, and self-determination. Money is not only a medium of exchange; it’s an enduring marker of independence and statehood.”
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Collectors interested in completing the full set of standard semiquincentennial coinage will also need one each of the U.S. Mint’s specially designed pennies, nickels, dimes and half-dollars.
The dime received the most substantial update. The profile of President Franklin D. Roosevelt is replaced with that of Lady Liberty on its obverse side, while an eagle and the words “Liberty Over Tyranny” adorn the reverse.
Similarly, all half-dollars pressed this year replace John F. Kennedy with the Statue of Liberty’s head and “1776 ~ 2026” on its obverse side. The “Enduring Liberty” half dollar became available to the public this week.
Fun fact: Soccer coins
To commemorate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the mint plans to print special $5, $1 and half-dollar coins. “A FIFA World Cup 2026 commemorative coin program has the opportunity to shape a lasting legacy for the sport of soccer in the United States, support underserved communities, and celebrate a unifying global event,” reads the public law, which passed in 2024, creating the program.The mint is also looking into the past with appreciation for its most cherished bygone coins. From a list of 21 historic coins, dating from the bureau’s 1792 founding, the public voted and advisory groups weighed in on five designs they wanted to see revived this year.
The winners—the 1916 Mercury Dime, 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter, 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar, 1804 Silver Dollar and 1907 Saint-Gaudens $20 gold coin—comprise the 2026 Best of the Mint series. Each will be re-issued in gold and silver as collector’s items.
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