2026 Semiquincentennial Declaration of Independence Quarter Designs Recommended

In 2026, to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary, special designs will appear across circulating coins, including a special series of five Semiquincentennial quarters. Released in sequence, these quarters will highlight key themes: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, Abolitionism, Suffrage, and Civil Rights. Proposed designs for the series have been reviewed and approved, with this article focusing on recommendations for the Declaration of Independence quarter.

Designs for the 2026 quarters were reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) on Oct. 15 and subsequently by the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) on Oct. 17.

The U.S. Mint’s description for the 2026 Declaration of Independence quarter’s theme reads, "As an inflection point in our nation’s 250-year history, the Declaration of Independence is America’s first and boldest expression of the values and aspirations that define our national identity.

Obverse designs feature personified Liberty. Some depictions reference the theme of the Declaration of Independence through Liberty’s garb or symbolic elements, while others are more generalized representations… Reverses commemorate the Declaration of Independence as an expression of the principles on which our government and our identity as Americans are based."

CCAC and CFA Design Recommendations

A total of nine obverse and seventeen reverse candidates were evaluated, with both panels agreeing on the same design pairings: O-02 for the obverse and R-08 for the reverse.

The obverse features Liberty cradling a "spark of enlightenment," symbolizing the ideals and principles rooted in the Declaration of Independence. Liberty’s hair is adorned with oak leaves, representing the strength and resilience of the United States, as oak is the nation’s official tree.

The reverse showcases the Liberty Bell ringing in Independence Hall, with its crack prominently visible — symbolizing the fragility of a young nation at its founding. While members acknowledged the Liberty Bell was likely not rung on July 4, 1776, as it had been hidden during the war, they noted it remains an enduring emblem of the period.

U.S. Mint images and descriptions of all proposed 2026 Declaration of Independence designs are provided below.

Obverse Candidate Designs for the 2026 Declaration of Independence Quarter

DQ-O-01 and DQ-O-01A portray Liberty as a sculptor molding and shaping herself, displaying her power to determine the form she takes, just as the Declaration of Independence asserted Americans’ right to carve out a government that derives its power from the consent of the governed, distinguishing it from 18th century nations that based sovereignty on the divine rights of kings.

DQ-O-02 depicts Liberty cradling a "spark of enlightenment," representing the ideals and principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence. In her hair Liberty wears leaves of oak, our country’s national tree.

DQ-O-03 features Liberty carving one of the conceptual pillars of the Declaration of Independence, the idea that "ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL."

DQ-O-04 depicts Liberty deep in thought, poised with a quill as she considers the inalienable rights and truths expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

DQ-O-05, DQ-O-05A, DQ-O-06 and DQ-O-06A depict Liberty holding the Declaration of Independence and sounding a horn similar to those used during the Revolutionary War. She boldly declares our nation’s new independence, sending out a powerful sound that draws the attention of the world.

Reverse Candidate Designs for the 2026 Declaration of Independence Quarter

DQ-R-01 depicts a young oak seedling sprouting from an acorn, representing the birth of our nation. The inscription "DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE" forms part of the roots while the rising sun, inscribed with "LIBERTY," provides the source required for the seedling to sprout and grow.

DQ-O-02 features an acorn resting on the fertile soil of "LIBERTY," representing the Declaration of Independence as the seed that inspired the growth of a new nation.

DQ-R-03 and DQ-R-03A depict Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was created and signed in 1776. Both designs feature powerful principles espoused in this founding document. Design 03 includes the additional inscription "WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT" while Design 03A includes "LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS."

DQ-R-04 and DQ-R-04A depicts clasped arms surrounded by the phrase "CREATED EQUAL." Design 04 also features laurel winding around the arms.

DQ-R-05 employs the symbolism of Nature to chronicle America’s journey through its founding documents. The design depicts sun rays beginning to emerge through storm clouds, representing the dawn of a new nation arising from the turmoil of revolution as well as the Enlightenment ideas that influenced the Declaration of Independence. A quill symbolizing the Declaration sweeps powerfully over the landscape, marking the nation’s founding and the power of revolutionary ideas to catalyze change.

DQ-R-06 and DQ-R-06A portray the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. The document and thirteen stars connoting the original colonies ascend upwards to the spark of enlightenment. The collection of stars also evokes fireworks and the 4th of July. The writer’s arm rests upon an ornate desk carved with an ocean motif, reflecting the journey from British rule to independence. The carved torch of Liberty highlights American ideals. Design 06A depicts the spark rising from the writer’s hand, emphasizing that the revolutionary ideas contained within the document were born, debated, and articulated by individuals who chose to take action.

DQ-R-07 captures the discovery that Thomas Jefferson struck the word "subjects" from a draft of the Declaration of Independence and replaced it with "citizens." This represents a monumental shift in the identity of America – no longer subjects of any nation, but citizens of an emerging democratic republic. The additional inscription is "FROM SUBJECTS TO CITIZENS."

DQ-R-08 and DQ-R-08A depict the Liberty Bell ringing in Independence Hall. While it’s unclear whether the Bell rang out in July of 1776, the Bell did often ring to draw people near and share an announcement, or a declaration. The Bell’s crack is visible, the fragility the Bell echoing the fragility of a young nation at its founding.

DQ-R-09 depicts a version of an early American heraldic eagle with an olive branch and arrows. Peace and prosperity are represented by the eagle, perched above the original shield of the union.

DQ-R-10 revisits the interlocking rings on the reverse of the "Fugio cent," an important early American coin. The 13 concentric circles represent the individual states uniting to form the United States.

DQ-R-11 depicts the hand of one of the drafters of the Declaration of Independence as he begins to create the document that proclaimed to the world why the colonies should no longer remain under British rule and assert the principles and ideals of a new nation.

DQ-R-12 and DQ-R-12A prominently feature the inscription "250," emphasizing the commemoration of our nation’s Semiquincentennial. A hand holding a quill frames the inscription emphasizing the agency exercised by the American people in the Declaration of Independence.