U.S. Mint Unveils New Lincoln Quarter
- williamhardy00
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
To celebrate America's Semiquincentennial in 2026, the United States Mint is updating well-known American coinage, such as the circulating nickel, dime, and quarter. Five (5) different unique obverse and reverse designs were created for this one-year quarter series to celebrate American heritage and history. These include coins featuring significant documents and events in American History, such as the Mayflower Compact, the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.
The obverse design of the quarter features America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. Today, the Gettysburg Address is recognized as one of the most poignant and moving speeches in American history. On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a new, federal cemetery for fallen soldiers, Lincoln paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and appealed to all Americans to advance the principles for which the Union soldiers gave their lives. The likeness of Lincoln chosen for the quarter captures both the profound burden of war on his weathered face, while his steady, forward-looking gaze reflects an unshakable resolve and determination to move the country forward as one indivisible nation. The inscriptions are “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “1776 ~ 2026.”
The reverse design features the inscription “A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY,” a passage from the Gettysburg Address. Two hands grasping each other represent Lincoln’s efforts to hold the Nation together and his appeal to Americans to honor the dead and ensure “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY,” “25¢,” and “GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.”
The Lincoln Gettysburg Address SemiQ quarter is part of the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020.
