1976 US Coins: Values & Mintages

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).

New this year: the Bicentennial Quarter.

Last year of the Bicentennial Quarter.

The Mint in the 1970s

The decade opened with the end of silver in circulating coinage: the last 40% silver Kennedy halves were dated 1970. The Eisenhower dollar arrived in 1971 and after 1974 the San Francisco Mint stopped placing its S on circulating cents, concentrating on proof coins for collectors. Rising copper prices led the Mint to test aluminum cents dated 1974, which were never issued.

For the nation's Bicentennial, quarters, half dollars and dollars struck in 1975 and 1976 all carry the dual date 1776-1976, so no coins of those denominations are dated 1975. The small Susan B. Anthony dollar replaced the Eisenhower dollar in 1979 and the West Point and San Francisco facilities struck unmarked cents to help meet demand.

How many coins were made in 1976

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 13,503,279,753 coins dated 1976 across 14 issues. That is 18% more than in 1975 (11,439,777,942). In 1977 the figure fell to 11,565,926,078.

No earlier year on our list comes close: it was the largest output up to that point.

By mint: Denver 6,731,691,737 (50%, up from 5,220,855,900), Philadelphia 5,230,893,016 (39%, up from 4,641,627,900) and West Point 1,540,695,000 (11%, down from 1,577,294,142).

1976 coins by denomination

Cents: 8,895,867,455 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Lincoln Memorial Cent, down 11% on 1975. The scarcest is the 1976 (3,133,580,000) and the most plentiful the 1976-D (4,221,592,455).

Nickels: 931,088,147 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, up 60% on 1975. The scarcest is the 1976 (367,124,000) and the most plentiful the 1976-D (563,964,147).

Dimes: 1,263,982,774 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, up 41% on 1975. The scarcest is the 1976 (568,760,000) and the most plentiful the 1976-D (695,222,774).

Quarters: 1,669,902,855 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Bicentennial Quarter. The scarcest is the 1976 (809,784,016) and the most plentiful the 1976-D (860,118,839).

Half Dollars: 521,873,248 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Kennedy Half Dollar. The scarcest is the 1976 (234,308,000) and the most plentiful the 1976-D (287,565,248).

Dollar Coins: 220,565,274 struck in 4 circulation issues of the Eisenhower Dollar. The scarcest is the 1976 (Bicentennial, Type I) (4,019,000) and the most plentiful the 1976 (Bicentennial, Type II) (113,318,000).

Every 1976 circulation issue at a glance

• 1976 Eisenhower Dollar (Bicentennial, Type I): 4,019,000 struck, 3rd lowest of 16 in the series, down from 27,366,000 in 1974.
• 1976-D Eisenhower Dollar (Bicentennial, Type I): 21,048,710 struck, 5th lowest of 16 in the series, down from 45,517,000 in 1974.
• 1976-D Eisenhower Dollar (Bicentennial, Type II): 82,179,564 struck, more than 87% of the series' 16 issues, up from 45,517,000 in 1974.
• 1976 Eisenhower Dollar (Bicentennial, Type II): 113,318,000 struck, the highest mintage of the series, up from 27,366,000 in 1974.
• 1976 Kennedy Half Dollar: 234,308,000 struck, more than 96% of the series' 116 issues, similar to 1974.
• 1976-D Kennedy Half Dollar: 287,565,248 struck, more than 98% of the series' 116 issues, up from 79,066,300 in 1974.
• 1976 Jefferson Nickel: 367,124,000 struck, more than 62% of the series' 146 issues, up from 181,772,000 in 1975.
• 1976-D Jefferson Nickel: 563,964,147 struck, more than 79% of the series' 146 issues, up from 401,875,300 in 1975.
• 1976 Roosevelt Dime: 568,760,000 struck, 77th lowest of 168 in the series, similar to 1975.
• 1976-D Roosevelt Dime: 695,222,774 struck, more than 53% of the series' 168 issues, up from 313,705,300 in 1975.
• 1976 Bicentennial Quarter: 809,784,016 struck.
• 1976-D Bicentennial Quarter: 860,118,839 struck.

The 2 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Lincoln Memorial Cent: Aluminum trials, West Point and the zinc switch

Rising copper costs led the Mint to strike about 1.5 million aluminum cents dated 1974 as a test. Congress did not approve them. Nearly all were melted, though a few left the Mint and are not legal to own. Meanwhile, demand kept growing. The West Point facility struck billions of cents in these years with no mint mark, making them indistinguishable from Philadelphia coins.

Proofs struck at San Francisco show Filled S and Clear S varieties in 1979 and 1981. The clear S is the scarcer. In 1982 the Mint changed to copper-plated zinc, lowering the weight from 3.11 grams to 2.5 grams. That year has seven major varieties combining metal (bronze or zinc), date size (large or small) and mint (Philadelphia or Denver). A scale is the easiest way to tell bronze from zinc for 1982.

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Jefferson Nickel: Mint marks move to the obverse

When mint marks returned in 1968, they moved to the obverse, just to the right of the date. San Francisco struck circulating nickels from 1968 to 1970, then only proofs from 1971 onward. The 1971 proof nickel without an S, caused by a die that was never punched, is a major rarity, with only about 1,655 reported struck.

Demand grew through the 1970s with inflation. Output at the two main mints sometimes exceeded half a billion. Proofs from 1979 show Filled S and Clear S varieties. The clear S is scarcer. Coins from these years are common, though full steps examples from some Denver dates are hard to find. Many circulated pieces show weak strikes on the steps and on Jefferson's hair, the first places to check.

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Roosevelt Dime: Mint marks move above the date

In 1968 the mint mark moved to the obverse just above the date. San Francisco began striking proof dimes for collectors the same year. A few proof dies left the Mint without the S, creating the rare no-S proofs dated 1968, 1970, 1975 and 1983. The 1975 is one of the great modern rarities with only two examples known. Proof sets of 1979 and 1981 show two mint mark styles: a filled Type 1 S and a clearer Type 2 S that is scarcer.

Philadelphia added a P mint mark to the dime in 1980. Two years later a Philadelphia die missing its P reached circulation. The 1982 no-P dime became one of the most popular modern errors. Business strike mintages stayed in the hundreds of millions per mint and passed one billion at Philadelphia in 1988. Dimes from these years turn up in change constantly. Only well-struck uncirculated pieces, proof varieties and errors draw real collector interest.

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Bicentennial Quarter: Drummer boy quarters of 1975 and 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.

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Kennedy Half Dollar: Copper-nickel clad and the bicentennial reverse

Silver was dropped in 1971 and the half took the same copper-nickel clad composition as the dime and quarter, weighing 11.34 grams. Philadelphia returned to half dollar production that year. Denver struck more than 302 million in 1971. A 1974-D doubled die obverse shows clear doubling in IN GOD WE TRUST.

No halves are dated 1975. Coins struck in 1975 and 1976 carry the dual date 1776-1976 with Seth G. Huntington's view of Independence Hall on the reverse. San Francisco made 40 percent silver versions for collector sets in addition to clad proofs. Bicentennial halves were struck in enormous numbers, more than 520 million for circulation, so they remain common. Collectors seek the silver versions and sharp uncirculated clad coins.

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Eisenhower Dollar: The Bicentennial Liberty Bell

No dollars are dated 1975. Coins struck in 1975 and 1976 carry the dual date 1776-1976 and a new reverse by Dennis Williams, a college student who won the design competition: the Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon.

Early Bicentennial dollars have thick, blocky lettering on the reverse (Type I); the lettering was redesigned to be thinner and sharper (Type II) to improve the strike. San Francisco also struck 40% silver Bicentennial dollars for three-coin collector sets.

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