1976 Type 1

The 1976 Type 1 carries the original Bicentennial reverse hub with bold, blocky lettering in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the design Dennis R. Williams won the U.S. Mint's 1973 design competition with. Philadelphia's combined 1976 output across both reverse types was 117,337,000 pieces; the Type 1 share is the smaller of the two, since the Mint shifted to a refined Type 2 reverse with thinner lettering within months of the dual-dated 1776-1976 design's debut. The Type 1 production began in 1975 under the Bicentennial Coinage Act of 1973, which authorized the dual-date reverse on the dollar, half dollar, and quarter for the entire 1975-1976 production period; no 1975-dated Eisenhower dollar exists.

Strike quality on the 1976 Type 1 is variable. The blockier Bicentennial reverse lettering struck up cleanly on early dies but showed softness at the high points of the Liberty Bell on coins from later die states. Distinguishing a Type 1 from a Type 2 turns on the lettering itself: the Type 1 letters in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the reverse carry serifs and bold strokes, where the Type 2 letters are noticeably thinner, taller, and more serif-free. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations cluster at MS64 to MS66, with MS67 examples scarce enough to anchor a real premium because the heavy 22.68-gram planchet picks up contact marks readily.

The 1976 Type 1 is the scarcer of the two Bicentennial Philadelphia reverse varieties and trades at a meaningful premium across all Mint State grades. Mint Set break-outs supply most of the higher-grade examples, and the matched four-coin Type 1 set across 1976-P, 1976-D, 1976-S Clad, and 1976-S Silver is the standard collector configuration for those targeting the original Bicentennial reverse hub. Pricing has held a steady multiple over the Type 2 across two decades, with the gap widest in MS66 and MS67. For the Bicentennial design-competition story and the broader Bicentennial program context, see the Eisenhower Dollar series history.