Proposed designs for the 2026 Semiquincentennial dime and half dollar were considered and recommended Oct. 16 by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

The 11-member panel reviewed the merits of the 13 proposed dime obverse designs and eight proposed dime reverse designs. The panel also considered seven proposed obverse designs and 10 proposed reverse designs for the 2026 half dollar.

2026 dime

In 2026, after an absence of 80 years, a traditional depiction of Liberty will again grace the dime’s obverse.

According to the U.S. Mint’s design narratives, “The 2026 dime’s theme is ‘Liberty over Tyranny’ and explores our revolutionary era that set the stage for the next 250 years of American history. In combination with the half dollar, the dime will bookend the five Semiquincentennial quarter dollars by making further connections to the aspirations and ideals expressed in America’s founding.”

The proposed obverse designs “depict liberty personified, echoing early American coinage where Liberty replaced a monarch on currency — a symbolic choice to reflect our new nation.” 

The proposed reverse designs “are emblematic of the spirit that embodied America’s bold quest for liberty.”

The CCAC’s recommendation for the dime obverse depicts a determined Liberty as the winds of revolution waft through her hair. With steadfast resolve, she faces the tyranny of the British monarchy.

The recommended reverse portrays an eagle in flight carrying arrows in its talons, representative of the American Revolution and the colonists’ fight for independence.

The CCAC approved sculptor Jeanne Stevens-Sollman’s recommendation to modify the eagle’s flight wings so they are more naturally straight.

2026 half dollar

The current U.S. 50-cent coin, the Kennedy half dollar, was first issued in 1964 four months after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In its early history, the half dollar featured variations of Liberty similar to those represented on the dime, as well as Adolph A. Weinman’s Walking Liberty (issued first in 1916).

In 1948, an image of Benjamin Franklin replaced the Walking Liberty design on the obverse of the half dollar. Its reverse introduced a depiction of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

The half dollar design proposals complete the third act of the Semiquincentennial narrative, exploring what is required to keep the Republic for the next 250 years and emphasizing the critical, knowledge-based role of the participating citizen.

The CCAC’s recommended obverse design for the 2026 half dollar depicts a close-up view of the Statue of Liberty, “her steadfast gaze looking outward as if toward the future.”

The recommended reverse depicts Liberty passing her torch, its flame trailing with the momentum of purpose, to a new generation.

An overview

The redesigned dime, two quarter dollars and the half dollar will exhibit a personified depiction of Liberty for the obverse.

The reverse designs are inspired by James Madison’s observation that “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people that mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power that knowledge gives.”

Each of the redesigned denominations will feature the dual date 1776-2026, similar to the dual dating of the Bicentennial coinage for 1976.

“To amplify the specific themes of the coins, obverses will prominently feature a particular required inscription, challenging Americans to reexamine their meanings and what they represent in 2026.

“The dime will markedly display LIBERTY, the quarters will feature a unique rendering of E PLURIBUS UNUM, and lastly, the half dollar will highlight UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” the Mint narrative said.

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