America 250 Coins
America's 250th Birthday: US Mint to Release Uncirculated Coin Sets June 30
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The U.S. Mint will release its 2026 Uncirculated Coin Set on June 30 — just four days before America turns 250. The set marks the first full redesign of all circulating American coins in over a century, according to crossroadstoday.com.
The 20-coin set is priced at $124.50 and capped at 300,000 units, with a limit of 10 sets per household. It includes a 2026-dated penny that is no longer being made for everyday use — making this set the only way to get one in mint condition.
Every Coin in Your Pocket Gets a New Look
The set includes two cards of 10 coins each — one from the Philadelphia Mint and one from Denver. Denominations range from the penny to the half-dollar. Each coin carries a special America 250 design tied to the Semiquincentennial, the official name for the 250th anniversary.
The quarter alone comes in five versions, each honoring a milestone: the Mayflower, the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address. The dime features "Emerging Liberty" and the half-dollar carries "Enduring Liberty." A Native American $1 coin honors the Oneida Nation's alliance with the Continental Army.
The Penny's Last Stand as an Everyday Coin
The 2026 Lincoln cent included in this set is a collector item only. The Mint stopped making pennies for circulation in late 2025, after production costs exceeded the coin's 1-cent face value. The 2026 set is the only place to get a 2026-dated penny in pristine, uncirculated condition.
The program was authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed by President Trump on January 13, 2021. The law directed the Mint to overhaul the dime, quarter, and half-dollar — and allowed transitional changes to the penny and nickel — all for a single year only.
A Nationwide Quarter Hunt Kicks Off Before the Set Drops
On June 23, the Mint released 250,000 special quarters into general circulation. Each carries a "July 4" privy mark — a tiny engraved symbol. That works out to roughly one privy-mark quarter for every 1,360 Americans, according to WJLA.
Mint Director Paul Hollis called the hunt a way to get Americans engaged. "We hope Americans enjoy the search for these iconic quarters as they're meant to be shared, saved, and remembered," he said. Experts see it as a smart move to reconnect the public with physical coins at a time when digital payments dominate.
High Price Tag Sparks Collector Pushback
Not everyone is celebrating. The $124.50 price tag has drawn sharp criticism from collector communities. Comparable sets in prior years sold for around $36. Some collectors say the Mint is cashing in on national nostalgia, pricing out average Americans from owning the full set.
Still, numismatic experts — people who study and collect coins — call the set a strong buy. The uncirculated penny alone is seen as a potential "sleeper" in terms of long-term value. The Mint argues its numismatic program is self-funded and adds no cost to taxpayers.
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