1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter (Pattern, silver-clad copper)
Variety of the 1976 Bicentennial Quarter struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3 made
- Mintage
- 3 (approx.)
- Metal
- 40% silver clad
- Weight
- 5.75 g
- Diameter
- 24.26 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter (Pattern, silver-clad copper) worth?
Value depends entirely on whether the coin is genuine and on its condition. Have any candidate authenticated before you buy or sell.
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter (Pattern, silver-clad copper) rare?
- Yes. It's a variety or error, not a regular issue. Only about 3 are thought to exist.
- Is the 1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter (Pattern, silver-clad copper) silver?
- Yes. It's 40% silver clad (80% silver outer layers) and holds 0.0739 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1976 Bicentennial Quarter?
- On the obverse, to the right of the ribbon behind Washington's hair. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
- How many 1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter (Pattern, silver-clad copper) coins were made?
- 3 (approximately).
What to check on your 1976
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1976-S Bicentennial Quarter Proof (2,845,450 made) is the one to compare with.
- A face that's fully copper colored could be a missing clad layer error. Patchy discoloration is usually damage.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the drummer's hand and drum and Washington's hair. Only uncirculated, high-grade or silver examples carry premiums.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1976
Drummer boy quarters of 1975 and 1976 (1976)
The bicentennial quarter grew out of a 1973 open design competition won by Jack L. Ahr with a colonial drummer and a torch encircled by 13 stars. The obverse kept Washington but replaced the single date with 1776-1976. Production began in 1975 and continued through 1976, so no quarter carries a 1975 date. Philadelphia struck about 809.8 million and Denver about 860.1 million for circulation, with the mint mark to the right of Washington's ribbon.
San Francisco produced clad proofs in both years along with 40 percent silver versions sold in three-coin uncirculated and proof sets. The silver pieces lack the copper stripe on the edge, which is the quickest way to tell them apart. Circulation coins remain common in pocket change. Collectors focus on sharp uncirculated examples, the silver proofs and errors such as off-center strikes.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1976
Bicentennial designs appeared on the quarter (a colonial drummer), the half dollar (Independence Hall) and the dollar (the Liberty Bell and the Moon).
How to recognize it
Jack Ahr's reverse shows a colonial drummer boy with a victory torch surrounded by 13 stars. The obverse keeps Washington's portrait with the dual date 1776-1976. Coins were struck in 1975 and 1976 with this date, in copper-nickel clad for circulation and in 40% silver for collectors.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Bicentennial Quarter (1976–1976) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976 (dated 1776–1976) |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3 (approx.) |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 40% silver clad (80% silver outer layers) |
| Weight | 5.75 grams |
| Diameter | 24.26 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0739 troy oz (2.300 g) |
| Designer | Jack L. Ahr (reverse) |
Other 1976 Bicentennial Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 Bicentennial Quarter | 809,784,016 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1976 Silver Bicentennial Quarter (Pattern, silver-clad copper) | about 3 known | Variety | 0.0739 oz |
| 1976-D Bicentennial Quarter | 860,118,839 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1976-S Silver Bicentennial Quarter Uncirculated | 4,908,319 | Collector uncirculated | 0.0739 oz |
| 1976-S Bicentennial Quarter Proof | 2,845,450 | Proof | – |
| 1976-S Bicentennial Quarter Proof (Struck in 1976) | 4,149,730 | Proof | – |
| 1976-S Silver Bicentennial Quarter Proof | 3,998,621 | Proof | 0.0739 oz |
Mintage: Washington quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.