By Alan Herbert, Coins Magazine November 30, 2009

It’s been more than three decades since we celebrated the Bicentennial and a couple of new generations are asking questions. Hopefully I can answer some of their interesting queries about coins they inherited, or bought. Also, a “Bi” sometimes still shows up in circulation.

One of the frequent questions over the years has been: “Both my 1975 and 1976 proof sets have the same Bicentennial quarters, halves and dollars. Is this a mistake?”

The 1975 and 1976 proof sets contained the Bicentennial quarters, halves and dollars, so both are normal sets for the year. There were no quarters, halves or dollars struck bearing a 1975 date. The Mint felt that there wouldn’t be time to gear up for the extra production of the 1976-dated quarters, halves and Eisenhower dollars.

The Mint played a few games in 1975-76. It was authorized to strike 1976-dated quarters, halves and dollars beginning in late 1974, but rather than strike any of the three with 1975 dates, the 1976 dates were included in the proof sets with the 1975-dated cents, nickels and dimes, then in 1976 again with the cent, nickel and dime with the 1976 date.

The 1975 mint sets contained Philadelphia and Denver coins only, as none were struck at San Francisco for circulation. The quarters and halves in the mint sets were 1976 dates, as with the proof sets.

In the 1976 mint sets, as with the proof sets, all the coins bore the 1976 date.

The Mint also added to the confusion, generating numerous variations on this theme: “In reviewing old issues of Coins magazine I note that for a number of years after 1976 the Mint reports included listings of the Bicentennial coin sets. I thought it halted production in 1976?”

It did. The figures, which were sometimes labeled, and sometimes not, covered the number of sets sold from the surplus that the Mint had on hand and did not indicate any new production. None of the Bicentennial coins were struck after 1976. Then Mint Director Mary Brooks struck the last Bicentennial coins on June 22, 1976 at the San Francisco Assay Office, now the San Francisco Mint.

I stress that these were official strikes, since several of the 40 percent silver planchets were shipped by accident to Denver, mixed with regular clad planchets, and were struck in 1977. The resulting “transition” coins have commanded prices into the low four figures.

Another common question was asked about the Bicentennial coins—and many of the recent commemoratives: “How did they get away with Bicentennial coin designs that didn’t include an eagle?”

Curiously this is but one instance of an apparent anti-eagle sentiment in Congress. The enabling act authorizing the designs omitted the necessary exemption from the law that requires an eagle as part of the design. The designs were accepted as the “intent” of Congress, even if not actually authorized. The eagle was not specifically exempted from the law, but the House report on the bill indicated the congressional intent to leave the eagle off the Bicentennial coins.

Partisan readers complained: “Why wasn’t the Statue of Liberty picked for one of our Bicentennial coins? I think it would have been very appropriate.”

You weren’t alone, as several Statue of Liberty designs got as far as the semifinals of the design competition. They were knocked out because the Statue of Liberty was not a direct part of Revolutionary history. To prove the thinking behind your suggestion, the Statue of Liberty was part of the central design of more than 800 entries in the design competition.

A little further afield came questions about the coins of other countries, such as: “Did soldiers from Haiti fight in the American Revolution?”

Indeed they did.

The bicentennial 1,000 gourdes of 1974 issued by Haiti depicts the Battle of Savannah in which Haitian troops, under French command, fought against the British.

More Resources:

• Standard Catalog of United States Obsolete Bank Notes 4-CD Set, 1782-1866

• Fascinating Facts, Mysteries & Myths About U.S. Coins

• 2010 Standard Catalog of World Coins 2001-Date, 4th Edition

• State Quarters Deluxe Collector's Folder