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Starting today, you might end up with a special quarter when you get your change back. The first commemorative quarter for the nation’s 250th anniversary is officially in circulation.
The U.S. Mint will be rolling out a full lineup of coins to mark America's semiquincentennial. The commemorative designs were revealed back in December and will appear on quarters, dimes and nickels. And, yes, they're real, spendable money.
The quarter will be minted with five different designs and will be released over the course of the coming year. Each quarter highlights a foundational moment or text in American history. The first quarter, hitting cash registers around the country today, is the Mayflower Compact Quarter. On its front are two Pilgrims representing the 1620 agreement that established the colony at Plymouth. The reverse features the Mayflower itself, along with an inscription that says "Mayflower Compact."
Future quarters will spotlight the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Gettysburg Address. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Abraham Lincoln will appear on the obverse. The reverse designs range from a soldier at Valley Forge to the Liberty Bell to two clasped hands beneath the words "A New Nation Conceived in Liberty." All five quarters share the usual inscriptions, including "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust." The coins will also be inscribed with "1776 ~ 2026," a non-traditional display of two years rather than just the year they were minted.
Other coins are also getting commemorative updates. The dime replaces Franklin D. Roosevelt with a personification of Liberty, the first change to that coin in 80 years. An eagle clutching arrows appears on the back. Thomas Jefferson and Monticello still grace the nickel, with the addition of the "1776 ~ 2026" dates.
Collectors can snap up a special Enduring Liberty half dollar and newly-designed commemorative pennies (the last pennies ever to be minted) directly from the Mint.
The coin reveal has not been without controversy. Earlier design proposals, the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Mint and a citizens advisory committee during the Biden administration, honored abolitionism, suffrage and civil rights, bearing the images of figures such as Frederick Douglass and Ruby Bridges. Those ideas were recently scrapped in favor of more traditional imagery. Meanwhile, talk of a proposed $1 coin depicting President Trump has stirred debate, especially since federal law bars living people from appearing on U.S. currency.
So keep an eye out for these special coins, because next year the designs will revert back to normal. While these coins aren't considered valuable collectors items—thousands will be minted in both Denver and Philadelphia for everyday use and will remain in circulation—they will serve as a reminder of this major U.S. milestone. Check out all the commemorative coin designs on the U.S. Mint website.