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People of a certain generation will remember the year-long bicentennial celebration of 1976, when the United States celebrated its 200th birthday and the country was fairly drowning in bicentennial trinkets, collectibles, souvenirs and various other things to spend money on.
The U.S. Mint also produced a series of bicentennial quarters to commemorate the event — and many of those now command great sums of money as the country approaches its 250th birthday.
The Mint produced the bicentennial coins between 1975 and 1976 as a special edition. They were notable for being the first U.S. quarters in more than 50 years to feature a special reverse design.
The most valuable of those coins — a 1976-S Bicentennial Silver Quarter that came in with a very high grade — sold for $19,200 at auction a few years ago, according to the Chronicle Collectibles website. But that’s not the only bicentennial quarter that fetches a big price. Plenty of others have as well.
Most of these coins were “clad,” meaning they were made of multiple metals such as nickel, copper and zinc that are layered together like a sandwich, according to the U.S. Mint. But as Chronicle Collectibles noted, some of the bicentennial quarters were composed of 40% silver — an important distinction because the silver coins are rarer and therefore much more valuable.
The coin’s condition also plays a part in its value, with those in pristine condition commanding the highest prices.
The bicentennial quarters were minted at three different locations in different mintages: Philadelphia (809,784,016 coins), Denver (860,118,839 coins), and San Francisco (11,000,000 uncirculated 40% silver coins, 7,059,099 proof clad coins, and 4 million proof 40% silver coins).
Here’s a look at seven other bicentennial quarters that have sold for more than $1,000, according to the CoinValueChecker website:
- 1976-S Silver Proof Bicentennial Quarter: sold for $13,500 in 2019.
- Double Denomination 1976 Bicentennial Quarter Struck on a Dime: sold for $9,200 in 2020.
- 1976-D Clad DDO Bicentennial Quarter Business Strike: sold for $8,400 in 2023.
- 1976-D Clad Bicentennial Quarter Regular Strike: sold for $6,463 in 2017.
- 1976-S Clad Proof Bicentennial Quarter: sold for $6,038 in 2010.
- 1976-S Silver Proof Deep Cameo Bicentennial Quarter: sold for $2,760 in 2007.
- 1976 Clad Bicentennial Quarter Regular Strike: sold for $1,821 in 2023.
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