1976 Type 2

The 1976 Type 2 is the refined late-Bicentennial reverse with thinner lettering in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the design that became the standard for the bulk of Philadelphia's 117,337,000-piece combined 1976 output. Dennis R. Williams's Liberty Bell over moon design carried through both types; only the lettering treatment changed, after the Mint determined mid-run that the Type 1 blocky letters did not pair well with the Williams design's overall delicacy. Production of the Type 2 reverse began in early 1976 and continued through the end of the Bicentennial program at year-end, with the dual-dated 1776-1976 retained on every example.

Strike quality on the 1976 Type 2 is consistently sharper than the Type 1, partly because the thinner reverse lettering produced less hub stress and partly because the Type 2 dies were fresher and operated with better tolerances across the run. Most surviving examples grade MS64 to MS66 from broken bags and Mint Set releases, with PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations thinning at MS67. Authentication is straightforward against a confirmed Type 1 reference example: viewed at five to ten power magnification, the Type 2 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA reads as thin, tall, and largely sans-serif, where the Type 1 carries bold, blocky strokes with visible serifs. No counterfeits target the variety because the differential is small.

This is a regular common date and the easier of the two Bicentennial Philadelphia reverses to acquire. The 1976 Type 2 anchors the Bicentennial date set at the entry-grade level and trades inexpensively across all Mint State grades. Original 1976 Mint Sets, distributed by the U.S. Mint as a single souvenir product covering both Philadelphia and Denver across the dollar, half dollar, and quarter, remain the most reliable source of high-grade examples. For the Bicentennial design history and the Type 1 to Type 2 lettering transition, see the Eisenhower Dollar series history.