US Mint Releases Coin Series Marking America’s 250th Anniversary of Independence

A $1 coin featuring President Donald Trump was not released.

The U.S. Mint, in Philadelphia on Nov. 4, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The next time shoppers receive change at the store, they might notice new coin designs honoring America’s independence.

The U.S. Mint started circulating on Jan. 5 several updated coins to commemorate America’s semiquincentennial—the 250th anniversary. The commemorative-related changes will last only a year, and coins will return to normal in 2027.

“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,” U.S. Mint Acting Director Kristie McNally said in a statement.

“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.”

Four different quarters debuted.

The quarter’s first design will feature the Mayflower Compact, President George Washington, and the Revolutionary War. Another 25-cent coin will showcase the Declaration of Independence and President Thomas Jefferson. The other two quarters will profile the U.S. Constitution and President James Madison, and President Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address.

The nickel will remain mostly unchanged, featuring an updated portrait of Jefferson and a subtle revision to his Monticello home. The word “Liberty,” written in Jefferson’s own handwriting, will appear beside his portrait.

Dimes are also receiving an upgrade.

Since 1946, U.S. dimes have displayed President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s profile alongside a torch, an oak branch, and an olive branch. Beginning this year, the coin will instead feature Lady Liberty—echoing designs used before 1946—with the reverse depicting an eagle with spread wings clutching talons to evoke the American Revolution.

Semiquincentennial coins and medals. United States Mint

In addition, the half dollar will also undergo a redesign for the semiquincentennial, replacing the long-standing portrait of President John F. Kennedy with the Statue of Liberty.

On the reverse, the coin will feature Liberty’s torch being transferred from one hand to another, alongside the inscription “knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”

A special penny will be up for sale this year, two months after the U.S. Mint suspended production of new pennies to lower costs. The one-cent coin had cost the federal government more than three cents to produce. Despite being phased out, the penny remains legal tender.

All commemorative coins are engraved with “1776~2026.”

Precious Metal Collectibles

The U.S. Mint will also issue new collectible gold, silver, and platinum coins.

The 2026 American Buffalo, American Eagle, and Morgan & Peace coins will feature “1776 ~ 2026” to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. These coins—along with the 2026 American Innovation $1 Coins—will also carry a special Liberty Bell privy mark inscribed with the numeral “250.”

The American Eagle Platinum Proof Coin series, titled “Charters of Freedom,” will launch in 2026 to honor America’s foundational documents. The three‑year program will spotlight the Declaration of Independence in 2026, the U.S. Constitution in 2027, and the Bill of Rights in 2028, with each annual release paying tribute to one of these defining texts.

Additionally, a 2026 Native American $1 coin will showcase the Oneida Tribe assisting Washington at Valley Forge.

The $1 Trump Coin

A $1 coin showcasing President Donald Trump was not released.

In October, the Treasury Department confirmed efforts to create a $1 commemorative coin featuring the president. The obverse side shows Trump’s profile, and the reverse depicts Trump raising his fist after the attempted assassination of the president in Butler, Pennsylvania.

While Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) expressed disappointment last month that the president scrapped coin designs honoring slavery abolition, the civil rights movement, and women’s suffrage, she said she was pleased the coins did not “plaster his face on our currency as if he were a king.”

Images of a $1 coin that the Treasury Department sent out but did not release, which features President Donald Trump. Treasury Department photo

“I am deeply disappointed that he chose to scrap coin designs that were already approved to celebrate historic moments for Black Americans, women, and all of us who benefit from equal treatment under the law,” she said in a Dec. 11 statement.

“The American story didn’t stop at the pilgrims and founding fathers, and ignoring anything that has happened in this country in the last 162 years is just another attempt by President Trump to rewrite our history.”

Experts have debated whether it is legal to create a Trump coin.

Critics say presidents generally cannot appear on coinage until two years after their death. Others argue that there may be loopholes that allow the Treasury to mint special coins for America’s 250th anniversary of independence.