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Who Is on the Back of the Bicentennial Quarter?

Nobody in particular is on the back of the Bicentennial quarter. Officially, the figure is a colonial drummer, and the U.S. Mint doesn't name him. Jack L. Ahr of Arlington Heights, Illinois, designed him, and he replaced the usual eagle only on quarters dated 1776-1976. George Washington is still on the front.

The Figure Is a Colonial Drummer, Not a Named Person

Those two words go back to when the coin was new. The Mint's press release of October 1, 1975 says Ahr "designed the colonial drummer that appears on the quarter reverse," and it names no model and no historical soldier.

"Drummer boy" is the public's nickname, and there's history behind it. PCGS's reference page for the coin notes that armies of the 1700s and 1800s used young boys as drummers to signal the men on a battlefield. On the quarter, the figure stands for that role and isn't a portrait.

The Torch and Stars Beside Him

The drummer occupies most of the reverse. At the left, the small device is a victory torch circled by 13 stars, which represent the 13 original colonies. Between the torch and the drummer's right arm sits the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM.

Washington Stayed on the Front

Turn the coin over and it's an ordinary quarter with an unusual date. John Flanagan's portrait of George Washington is the same one that went onto the quarter in 1932 to honor Washington's 200th birthday. On the Bicentennial issue, the date is the one change to that side. These are still Washington quarters, with a one-time reverse.

That gives you a quick check. If the date on the front reads 1776-1976, the drummer is on the back.

Jack L. Ahr Designed It After Winning a Public Contest

Ahr wasn't a Mint engraver. He was one of three winners of a national competition sponsored by the Treasury Department, each of whom received a $5,000 award. Two other designs went on the larger coins: Independence Hall on the half dollar, and the Liberty Bell with the moon on the dollar. Only the quarter has the drummer.

According to PCGS's history of the Bicentennial coinage, the contest was announced in October 1973 and drew 884 entries, which were narrowed to 12 semifinalists. Before that, the last open competition for a U.S. coin design was the Jefferson nickel contest of 1938.

One small controversy followed. PCGS also reports that the designer of a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1973, which also showed a colonial drummer, accused Ahr of copying it. Its account doesn't say the accusation was upheld.

Why the 1776-1976 Quarter Looks Different

Congress ordered it. Public Law 93-127, approved October 18, 1973, required the quarter, half dollar and dollar to carry a reverse design "emblematic of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution." Under the same law, every one of those coins minted for issue between July 4, 1975 and January 1, 1977 had to bear 1776-1976 "in lieu of the date of coinage." That's why the Mint says you can't tell a quarter struck in 1975 from one struck in 1976.

By the Mint's account, the program was the first time circulating coinage was redesigned to honor an anniversary of American independence. It was also temporary. On the back, the eagle came back in 1977 and stayed through 1998, and changing reverse designs didn't become routine until 1999.

The Release in 1975 and How Many Were Made

Circulation began on August 18, 1975, after the half dollar on July 7 and before the dollar on October 13. Demand was heavy. For the three months ending June 30, 1976, the Mint reported quarter production 140% above the same period a year earlier. Mint Director Mary Brooks said the coins showed that "the Spirit of '76 is alive and well at the Mint."

When production stopped at the close of 1976, the Mint had struck 1.67 billion Bicentennial quarters for circulation. That's why the drummer still turns up in pocket change, and why the design alone doesn't make a coin scarce.

Every one of those circulation coins is copper-nickel clad. Collectors could also buy versions struck in 40% silver, the only Bicentennial pieces that count as silver quarters. Telling the two apart starts with the mint mark. Every silver piece carries an S, but San Francisco also struck 7,059,099 clad proofs with an S, so the letter alone doesn't settle it.

Commemorative Coins in Our Catalog

The drummer was a commemorative design on a coin made to be spent. Coins struck and sold to collectors to mark an event are a separate group, and our catalog lists them under modern commemorative coins. We verify every item we sell with modern testing equipment and numismatic expertise.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I tell if my Bicentennial quarter is worth money?

Not by the drummer alone, because all 1.67 billion circulation quarters carry him. What sets one coin apart is its composition, its condition and whether it's a recognized variety. The 40% silver pieces were sold to collectors in three-coin uncirculated and proof sets, and for the Denver issue PCGS lists two doubled die obverse varieties. A grading service can confirm a variety or a grade.

Is there a 1975 quarter?

No. PCGS's history of the Bicentennial coinage notes that no quarters, half dollars or dollars dated 1975 were struck. Production of 1974-dated coins ran on into 1975 before the Mint switched to the dual date. A quarter made in 1975 reads 1776-1976, so a date set of Washington quarters runs from 1974 to the Bicentennial coin and then to 1977.

Is there a Bicentennial quarter for 2026?

Not with the drummer. For 2026, the Mint's quarters carry five new themes from American history: the Mayflower Compact, the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Gettysburg Address. Their front is inscribed 1776 ~ 2026. Only quarters dated 1776-1976 show the drummer.