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Updated February 25, 2021
Quarter and Half Dollar Coins: History and Current Status
The Secretary of the Treasury, through the U.S. Mint, is
statutorily authorized to issue specific denominations of
circulating coins (31 U.S.C. §5112). Currently, the United
States has sixcirculating coins-dollar, half dollar, quarter
dollar, dime, nickel, and penny. All coinage is alsorequired
to have certain design elements, including specific words
such as Liberty, orEPluribus Unum. Since 1930, the
Mint has redesigned the quarter dollar four times (1932,
1976, 1997, and 2008), while the half dollar was last
redesigned in 1964. In the 116h Congress (2019-2020), the
Circulating Collectable Coin Redesign Act (P.L. 116-330)
was enacted to authorize the further redesign of the quarter
and half dollar coins issued between 2022 and 2030.
Quarter Dollar Designs
The first quarters were is sued in 1796 and depicted Lady
Liberty on the (front) obverse and an eagle on the (back)
reverse. Since then, thequarterdollarhas been redesigned
four times: in 1932 to place President Washington on the
obverse, in 1976 for the Bicentennial of the United States,
in 1997 when the 50-statequarter programwas authorized,
and in 2008 when the America the Beautiful programwas
authorized.
Washington Quarter
In March 1931, PresidentHerbert Hoover signed a law (46
Stat. 1523) to change the design of the quarter dollar coin to
commemorate the two hundredth anniversary ofthe birth
of George Washington. The law required aportrait of
George Washington on the obverse and appropriate
devices on the reverse. The finished coin (as seen in
Figure 1)had a standard eagle design onthe reverse.
Figure I. George Washington Quarter, 1932-1 998
Source: U.S. Mint,The History of U.S. Circulating Coins, at
https://www.usmintgov/learn/history/us-circulating-coins.
Notes: The reverse ofthe Washington Quarter was redesigned for
the American Bicentennial in 1976. See Figure 2.
Bicentennial Quarter
In October 1973, a law (P.L. 93-127) to redesign the
quarter, halfdollar, and dollar's reverse to celebrate the
bicentennial of American independence was enacted. The
law required that the coins have two dates-1776 and
1976-and should bear a design determined by the
Secretary [of the Treasury] to be emblematic of the
Bicentennial. Figure 2 shows the Bicentennial Quarter and
Half Dollar.
Figure 2. Bicentennial Quarter and Half Dollar, I 976
Source: U.S. Mint, 1976 Bicentennial Coins, at
https://www.usmintgov/learn/kids/librar/bicentennial-coins.
50 State Quarters
In December 1997, the 50 States Commemorative Coin
ProgramAct was enacted (P.L. 105-124). The law
mandated changes to the quarter dollar to honor each state.
The 50 state quarters were first issued in 1999 in the order
that the states ratified the Constitution or were admitted to
the Union, starting with Delaware.
This [50 State quarters] bill will reinvigorate our
circulating coinage in a responsible, affordable way,
serving the best interests of the general public, the
national economy and the coin collecting community....
It will be educational and fun, will promote pride
among the States and it will be a winner financiallyfor
the Government.
-Rep. Mike Castle, Congressional Record,
November 12, 1997
As initially enacted, the 50statequarterprogramdid not
include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the
https://crs reports.congress.gov
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