U.S. Mint Begins Shipping 1776 ~ 2026 Dual-Dated Coins for Circulation (January 2026)

This article is based on a CoinNews report published on January 16, 2026.

In the week of CoinNews' January 16, 2026 report, the United States Mint announced that it began shipping its first wave of 1776 ~ 2026 semiquincentennial coins to Federal Reserve Banks on January 5, 2026, sending multiple one-year-only designs into circulation as the nation heads into its 250th anniversary year.

CoinNews had earlier reported that the 1776 ~ 2026 Mayflower Compact quarter was entering circulation. The Mint's announcement confirmed that the quarter was part of the same initial distribution as the new dime and half dollar designs.

Emerging Liberty Dime

The shipments include the 2026 Emerging Liberty Dime, which replaces the Roosevelt dime portrait for the semiquincentennial year.

The obverse carries the dual date 1776 ~ 2026 and shows Liberty with winds of revolution moving through her hair as she faces the tyranny of the British monarchy. A liberty cap bearing stars and stripes refers to both the nation's founding spirit and early American coinage. The reverse shows an eagle in flight carrying arrows, symbolizing the American Revolution and the colonists' fight for independence.

Enduring Liberty Half Dollar

Also shipping is the 2026 Enduring Liberty Half Dollar, another dual-dated issue produced in circulating quality as part of the 250th anniversary redesigns.

The obverse presents a close-up view of the Statue of Liberty, her gaze fixed outward as if toward the future. On the reverse, Liberty passes her torch to a new generation, paired with an inscription about knowledge as a safeguard of liberty.

Nickel and the Rest of the Quarter Series

The Mint's 2026 circulating coins include the Jefferson nickel. Its key designs are unchanged, but it carries the dual date 1776 ~ 2026. The Mint's latest announcement did not mention the nickel; CoinNews notes that newly dated nickels have entered circulation in January in past years.

The Mayflower Compact quarter is one of five quarter reverses for 2026. The other designs are scheduled for release later in the year.

Regional Rollout

According to CoinNews, where the first coins turn up will depend on Federal Reserve distribution patterns, regional demand, and how quickly older inventories are worked down.

Gold Coins, Silver Medals and Other Collector Issues

The Mint's 2026 lineup will also include five "Best of the Mint" gold coin and silver medal sets for the semiquincentennial. The gold coins feature Adolph A. Weinman's Mercury dime, Hermon A. MacNeil's Standing Liberty quarter, Weinman's Walking Liberty half dollar, the 1804 dollar, and Saint-Gaudens' 1907 Double Eagle. Each is paired with a silver medal that reinterprets its companion gold coin in modern form.

Other collector coins for the year include American Eagle coins with the dual date 1776 ~ 2026 and Innovation coins with a "250" privy mark.

There is also a dual-dated 2026 cent. Cents are no longer produced for circulation, but the denomination will continue to be struck for collector products.

From 2027

Starting in 2027, the dime will revert to its previous design. The quarter and half dollar will move to a new four-year program highlighting Youth Sports and Paralympic Sports.

Source: CoinNews, "U.S. Mint Starts Shipping 1776 ~ 2026 Coins for Circulation" (January 16, 2026).