1976

Philadelphia struck 367,124,000 Jefferson nickels in 1976, a substantial Bicentennial-year production. Unlike the quarter, half dollar, and dollar coins (which received special Bicentennial designs for 1776-1976), the nickel continued with its normal Jefferson design without modification. The coin is common in all grades and readily available in Mint State.

Strike characteristics are generally strong, and Full Steps examples exist in adequate numbers for specialist demand at modest premiums. Collectors building complete Jefferson nickel sets acquire the 1976 without difficulty.

1976 was the Bicentennial year, with celebrations throughout the country marking the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Tall Ships came to New York harbor, fireworks displays broke attendance records, and Americans engaged in a massive collective commemoration of the nation's founding. The ordinary Jefferson nickels circulating that year were witnesses to the celebration, changing hands through transactions at Bicentennial events, souvenir stands, and routine daily commerce in a country momentarily united in patriotic observance.