1976 Bicentennial Half Dollars Common in Circulation, Highly Collectible
July 2, 2026
The 1776-1976 Bicentennial Half Dollar remains one of the most widely collected of all modern half dollars, and they’re even among the most common of all Kennedy Half Dollars still found in circulation (mostly by way of bank rolls) today. The story of the 1776-1976 Bicentennial Half Dollar dates back to the early 1970s, when the American Revolutionary Bicentennial Commission Coins and Medals Advisory Committee recommended the production of circulating commemorative coins to honor the nation’s 200th birthday in 1976.
After contentious discourse about whether the government should embark on a Bicentennial coin program, Congress approved a plan for dual-dated 1776-1976 Bicentennial Quarters, Half Dollars, and Dollars bearing reverse designs to be chosen in a national competition. A reverse design by Seth Hungtinton showcasing Philadelphia’s Independence Hall was selected for the half dollar from among nearly 900 submissions; Jack L. Ahr provided a colonial drummer motif for the quarter and Dennis R. Williams offered the dollar coin his visage of the Moon superimposed by the Liberty Bell.
From PCGS