2026 U.S. Constitution Quarter Designs Recommended (2025)

As part of the United States’ 250th-anniversary celebration in 2026, circulating coins that year will feature exclusive designs, including a series of five Semiquincentennial quarters dedicated to defining periods in American history. Released sequentially, the quarters will explore major themes: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, Abolitionism, Suffrage, and Civil Rights. With candidate designs for the series now reviewed and approved, this article delves into the recommendations for the U.S. Constitution quarter.

Designs for the 2026 quarters were reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) on Oct. 15, followed by the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) on Oct. 17.

The U.S. Mint’s description for the 2026 Declaration of Independence quarter’s theme reads, "As an inflection point in our nation’s 250-year history, the U.S. Constitution put the aspirations outlined in the Declaration of Independence into practice and provided the functional framework for how our country would operate.

Obverse designs feature personified Liberty. Some depictions reference the theme of the U.S. Constitution through Liberty’s garb or symbolic elements, while others are more generalized representations… Reverses commemorate the U.S. Constitution and its ratification as a critical inflection point in our nation’s history, a point at which the founders defined a framework for our working government to make practical the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence."

A total of five obverse and thirteen reverse candidates were evaluated, with both panels agreeing on the same obverse design but recommending different reverses. Their selected pairings are displayed in the topmost images, with the CCAC’s in the first row and the CFA’s in the second.

CCAC Design Recommendations

The CCAC’s recommended obverse, O-02, depicts Liberty confidently striding toward the future while holding her torch, a symbol of enlightenment. In her other hand, she carries the U.S. Constitution. She is crowned with oak leaves symbolizing strength and wears a shield emblem for protection.

Their chosen reverse, R-09, highlights a detail from the chair used by George Washington during his presidency over the Constitutional Convention in 1787. CCAC members suggested swapping the positions of the inscriptions "LIBERTY" and "U.S. CONSTITUTION."

CFA Design Recommendations

The CFA also selected obverse O-02. For the reverse, it recommended R-11, which depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the site where the U.S. Constitution was created and signed in 1787. The additional inscription is "WE THE PEOPLE."

Regarding the CCAC’s reverse selection, the CFA’s letter on their design recommendations noted that "the detail of the chair used by George Washington at the Constitutional Convention would be too unrecognizable for the public’s comprehension and would imply excessive emphasis on specific individuals rather than on the broader significance of the Constitution’s creation. They concluded that reverse #R-11 is best for its emphasis on the inscription ‘We the People’ and its compatibility with obverse #O-2."

U.S. Mint images and descriptions of all proposed 2026 Declaration of Independence quarter designs are provided below.

Obverse Candidate Designs for the 2026 U.S. Constitution Quarter

CQ-O-01 and CQ-O-01A portray Liberty, hair adorned with olive branches to symbolize peace, actively building a foundation for the United States, brick by brick.

CQ-O-02 depicts Liberty striding confidently toward the future holding her torch, a symbol of enlightenment. In her other hand she holds the U.S. Constitution. She is crowned with oak leaves for strength and wears the emblem of a shield for protection.

CQ-O-03 features Liberty with a quill and scroll displaying "WE THE PEOPLE" in reference to the U.S. Constitution.

CQ-O-04 depicts Liberty nurturing intertwining flames and stars, representing the principles of Enlightenment found in the U.S. Constitution.

Reverse Candidate Designs for the 2026 U.S. Constitution Quarter

CQ-R-01 and CQ-R-01A depict the Capitol Dome, three stars representing the three branches of government outlined in the U.S. Constitution, and powerful phrases from this founding document. Design 01 features the inscription "TOWARD A MORE PERFECT UNION," and design 01A features "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-02 features a strong and healthy oak tree representing our country, supported by the fertile soil of the U.S. Constitution and fueled by the light of "LIBERTY." The additional inscription is "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-03 looks up into the canopy of a strong and healthy oak tree, symbolizing a strong and growing country with "LIBERTY" at its core. The additional inscription is "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-04 features a group of hands raising and supporting a key phrase from the U.S. Constitution, "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-05 employs the symbolism of Nature to chronicle America’s journey through its founding documents. The design shows the storm clouds receding and the sunlight growing stronger, marking the nation’s transition to a new form of self-governance. In place of the quill, a young tree has taken root, representing the Constitution as a living framework in this American landscape. Its form echoes the shape of the quill, a visual reminder that this new system of government is informed by and built upon the values and ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

CQ-R-06 illustrates the crafting of the United States Constitution, an allegorical depiction of nation-building. Sunlight breaks through dissipating clouds as construction workers labor together, erecting the framework of the U.S. Constitution. The document is positioned prominently, forming the structure’s main feature and providing protection to the systems of government that will be housed within.

CQ-R-07 spotlights the iconic phrase "WE THE PEOPLE" from the Preamble of the United States Constitution. Dominating the visual field, it proclaims the American people coming together under a representative government grounded in the consent of the governed.

CQ-R-08 features a foundation of bricks and stone, with a large cornerstone set at the center. The nation’s motto ‘e pluribus unum’ (Latin for "out of many, one") is embodied by these bricks, which come together to build a foundation representing the U.S. Constitution. The additional inscription is "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-09 features a detail from the chair used by George Washington during his tenure as president of our Constitutional Convention in 1787. Throughout the convention, Benjamin Franklin noticed the sun carved into the back of Washington’s chair. At the conclusion of the convention, Franklin is said to have remarked: "I have … often in the course of the session … looked at that ‘sun’ behind the president without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: but now at length I have the happiness to know it is a rising sun and not a setting sun."

CQ-R-10 represents the significance the drafting the U.S. Constitution has on our nation by depicting a hand holding a quill as it forms the United States flag. The design includes the additional inscription "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-11 features Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the U.S. Constitution was created and signed in 1787. The additional inscription is "WE THE PEOPLE."

CQ-R-12 depicts the inscription "WE THE PEOPLE" over the American flag.