The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) came together to discuss newly proposed designs on October 15th. Those designs will recognize the nation’s 250th anniversary and include the quarter dollar, dime, and half dollar.
Five circulating quarter dollars will be released in 2026. Each quarter will reflect and represent a theme in order of their release that lines up with our nation’s history. The themes are as follows: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, Abolitionism, Suffrage, and Civil Rights. Final recommendations were made by the committee on the second day of the meeting.
Also reviewed were designs for the 2026 Semiquincentennial dime and half dollar. The 11-member panel looked at 13 proposals for the dime design on the obverse and eight on the reverse. In addition, they considered seven obverse designs for the half dollar and 10 reverse designs.
The United States Mint’s theme for the dime design is “Liberty over Tyranny.” The theme examines the era of American history that indeed started a revolution and paved the way for the next 250 years. The dime and half dollar designs will be released before and after the five quarter dollars, furthering the ideas and ambitions of our nation in the days it was founded. A more traditional depiction of Lady Liberty will be featured on the obverse of the dime, the first after 80 years.
Our current United States half dollar was issued in 1964 and features John F. Kennedy. However, earlier issues of the denomination featured renderings of Liberty. The idea for the semiquincentennial design will complete the narrative of the 2026 coinage series, thematically recognizing what is to be sacrificed and necessary for the nation to continue for the next 250 years. It is set to recognize the crucial role of the everyday citizen.
All three denominations will reflect specific themes with the dime’s significant presentation of the word LIBERTY, the quarters including a unique expression of E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the half dollar amplifying the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
After the CCAC reviews and recommends their changes and designs, the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) will then take their turn.
Source: Coin World