Although we said goodbye to both 2025 and pennyfive new US coins will soon be in your pocket. The design of each new quarter will correspond 250th anniversary of the country (aka half-quincentenary).
According to a press release from the US MintThe coins “celebrate 250 years of American freedom by reflecting our country's founding principles and honoring our nation's history.” They won't be available until this year, which almost certainly means they'll become collector's items in the future. Each will also be engraved with two dates: 1776–2026. Typically, coins only show the year they were minted, not two dates.
In December 2025 the original America 250 coin designs were abandoned and replaced with those dedicated to some of the country's founding documents and presidents. Original neighborhoods approved by two official committees in 2024 honored black abolition, women's suffrage, and civil rights, but was repealed by the Trump administration.
There will now be five different quarter designs.
Compact Mayflower Quarter
The heads or obverse depict two pilgrims embracing as a sign of respect for the Mayflower Compact, signed on November 21, 1620. This document is considered the predecessor of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Inscriptions: “E PLURIBUS UNUM”, “1776 ~ 2026” and “IN GOD WE TRUST”.
The reverse or tail depicts the Mayflower with full sails over a stormy sea. The inscriptions: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “LIBERTY”, “MYFLOWER COMPACT” and “25 cents”.
Revolutionary War Quarter
The obverse of the coin depicts the first US President, George Washington. During the Revolutionary War, Washington served as commander in chief of the Continental Army.
The reverse of the coin depicts a Continental Army soldier at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. After defeat at the Battle of Brandywine, Washington's troops faced disease and devastation during their winter encampment from 1777 to 1778. Although independence had been declared the previous July, the Second Continental Congress was forced to flee Philadelphia to avoid British attack. According to the creators of the coin, the determined look of the soldier shows his will to overcome the trials of war on the path to freedom. Inscriptions: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “LIBERTY”, “25 cents” and “REVOLUTIONARY WAR”.
Declaration of Independence Quarter
The front of this quarter features Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States.
The reverse features the ringing of the Liberty Bell. Although historians are not entirely sure whether the bell rang in July 1776, the Liberty Bell was often rung to draw Philadelphians downtown for announcements. The infamous crack in the bell is visible, symbolizing the fragility of the young nation at its founding. The inscriptions: “DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,” “QUARTER DOLLAR,” “LIBERTY,” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
US Constitutional Quarter
The obverse of the coin depicts President James Madison. Madison was the fourth President of the United States and is widely known as the “Father of the Constitution” for his role in developing and promoting the document.
The reverse depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia. This building housed the Liberty Bell, and it was here that the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were written, debated and signed. According to the designers, the inscription “WE THE PEOPLE” and the image of Independence Hall together “emphasize the fundamental principle embedded in the Constitution: in particular, our government is based on the consent of the governed.” The inscriptions: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “WE THE PEOPLE”, “LIBERTY”, “US CONSTITUTION” and “QUARTER DOLLAR”.
Gettysburg address block
The front side depicts the country's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln. His Gettysburg Address is now recognized as one of the most poignant and moving speeches in American history. In his speech, Lincoln paid tribute to fallen soldiers and called on all Americans to promote the principles for which they gave their lives. According to the designers, this particular portrait shows the deep burden of war on his weathered face, but is combined with a forward-looking gaze and determination to move the country forward.
The reverse features the inscription “A NEW NATION BORN IN FREEDOM,” an excerpt from the Gettysburg Address. The two hands clasping each other symbolize Lincoln's efforts to preserve the unity of the United States and his call for Americans to ensure that “the government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the face of the earth.” Inscriptions: “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “NEW NATION ESTABLISHED IN FREEDOM”, “25 Cents” and “GETTYSBURG ADDRESS”.
New Sesquicentennial nickels, collectible pennies, dimes and half dollars will also be in circulation over the next few months.
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