Help Decide Coin Designs
Let your voice be heard! Starting September 8, 2023, the Mint invites all Americans to take a brief survey to give their opinion on the proposed Semiquincentennial coin design themes. The survey will be available through October 10, 2023.
In 2026, the U.S. Mint will commemorate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding with redesigned circulating coins as part of the Semiquincentennial Coin Program. The Mint will redesign both the obverse and reverse sides of each circulating coin, including up to five different quarter designs. One of the quarters must feature women’s contributions to the birth of our country or other historical moments.
As authorized by Public Law 116-330, the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act, designs for the 2026 circulating coins will be selected in accordance with the design selection process developed by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission. To start the process, the Mint established thematic concepts in collaboration with advisors from the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and Records Administration, Library of Congress, and National Park Service. Input from the general public through an online survey will inform final design themes for the Semiquincentennial coins.
After the public survey ends, the Mint will work with advisors to finalize the design themes. Mint artists will submit candidate designs for review by subject matter experts, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The Secretary of the Treasury will then select the final designs for each coin.
Design Selection Process
The Mint developed a design selection process in consultation with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission.
Step One – Identify Liaisons and Advisors
Appropriate officials at the United States Semiquincentennial Commission will identify one or more individuals to serve as liaisons to the United States Mint for this coin program.
The Mint will identify other appropriate advisors, including subject matter experts, to assist the Mint throughout the process.
Step Two – Develop Criteria to Guide Design Development
After consulting with the Commission on its strategy for a national commemoration, the Mint will identify design objectives for this program.
The Mint will subsequently draft criteria for developing and evaluating design concepts/themes, consulting with its advisors as necessary.
Step Three – Develop and Finalize Design Concepts/Themes
Working with its advisors, the Mint will develop proposed design concepts/themes that fulfill the design objectives and the criteria, and are both accurate and appropriate.
Step Four – Solicit and Process Public Input
The Mint, consulting with its advisors as appropriate, will develop and execute a plan for soliciting public input on the proposed design concepts/themes. Based on feedback from the general public, the Mint will work with the advisors to finalize the design concepts/themes to be used in developing coin candidate designs to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country.
Step Five – Design Development
Using the design concepts/themes, the Mint will develop coin candidate designs, focusing on aesthetic beauty, accuracy, appropriateness, and coinability. The Mint will collaborate with its advisors as appropriate to ensure historical accuracy and proper representation with respect to candidate designs.
Step Six – Candidate Design Review
The Mint will present candidate designs, along with any relevant input from subject matter experts, to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) for comment and to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) for review. The Mint will consider all comments and recommendations and modify the candidate designs as appropriate. This may require the Mint to return to Step Five until the Mint receives comprehensive feedback from both federal advisory committees (CFA and CCAC) from which the Secretary of the Treasury may make design selections.
Step Seven – Final Selections
The Mint will provide candidate designs, with feedback from subject matter experts, and recommendations from the CFA and CCAC, to the Secretary of the Treasury for final design selection.