1976-S Clad, Type 2 Proof

The 1976-S Clad Type 2 is the standard late-Bicentennial clad proof reverse with thinner lettering in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and it accounts for the larger share of San Francisco's combined 1976-S Clad mintage of 4,149,730 pieces. The Type 2 reverse, with its thin, tall, largely sans-serif lettering, became the standard at San Francisco once the Mint determined the design paired better with Dennis R. Williams's Liberty Bell over moon reverse. Production of the Type 2 ran from early 1976 through the end of the Bicentennial program, with the dual-dated 1776-1976 retained on every example.

For collectors, the 1976-S Clad Type 2 is a Cameo and Deep Cameo proof, with strike quality consistently sharper than the Type 1 counterpart partly because the thinner reverse lettering produced less hub stress and partly because the Type 2 dies operated with fresher tolerances. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations cluster at PR68 and PR69 Deep Cameo, with meaningful PR70 Deep Cameo populations. The most common deductions on cracked-out raw examples are milky toning and fingerprints rather than die-state or strike issues. The Type 1 versus Type 2 reverse distinction is the same diagnostic across all Bicentennial Eisenhower strikes: examine the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA inscription at five to ten power magnification, with the Type 2 reading thin, tall, and largely sans-serif.

This is a regular-issue proof and the easier of the two Bicentennial clad proof varieties to acquire. Pricing trails the Type 1 across all Mint State grades, with the gap widest at PR69 Deep Cameo and above. Sealed annual proof sets from 1976 remain the standard source, and the 1976-S Clad Type 2 anchors the Bicentennial proof slot in collections that pair the clad version with the matched 1976-S Silver Proof from the Bicentennial Silver Proof Set. For the Bicentennial design history and the Type 1 to Type 2 lettering transition that defined production at every mint, see the Eisenhower Dollar series history.