1976-S Bicentennial, Silver Proof

The 1976-S Bicentennial Silver proof quarter sits inside the three-coin Bicentennial Silver Proof Set issued alongside the silver Bicentennial half dollar and Eisenhower dollar, the only post-1964 quarter struck in a silver alloy until the silver proof sets returned in 1992. Composition is the 40 percent silver-clad sandwich the Mint reserved for collector-format Bicentennial coinage, layering 80 percent silver and 20 percent copper outer faces over a copper-silver core; total weight is 5.75 grams against 5.67 for the cupronickel clad version, with .074 troy ounces of silver in each piece. The reverse carries Jack L. Ahr's colonial drummer flanked by a victory torch ringed with thirteen stars, the design that replaced John Flanagan's heraldic eagle for the 1975 and 1976 production windows. The dual date 1776-1976 appears on the obverse below Washington's portrait.

The Mint reports 7,059,099 sets sold, with the proof quarter mintage matching that figure since the coin existed only inside the three-piece package and was not sold individually. Authentication runs through weight first: 5.75 grams confirms silver, 5.67 confirms the cupronickel proof issue that shares the same obverse and reverse dies. The edge gives a secondary tell, the silver-clad version showing solid white reeding against the cupronickel piece's reddish copper core line. Strike quality is the strong proof standard expected of late-1970s San Francisco, with crisp drummer detail, sharp star points around the torch, and squared rims throughout. Cameo, the strong contrast between mirrored fields and frosted devices, occurs on a meaningful share of the production, and Deep Cameo specimens at Proof 69 and above are common because the surviving population came almost entirely from undisturbed original government packaging. Grading through PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, or NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, is the working standard for Proof 69 Deep Cameo material.

The site classifies the issue Regular, the standard catalog handling for any proof entry. Practical acquisition flows from one of two paths: the intact red three-coin Bicentennial Silver Proof Set as issued, which remains plentiful, or a separately submitted certified example for the registry slot. Pricing tracks silver content at the low end and grade-rarity at the top, with Proof 70 Deep Cameo examples stepping into a sharper tier. Buyers cluster into Bicentennial-set builders, silver-quarter type collectors, and registry-set specialists chasing top-population pieces. For the broader story of John Flanagan's design and the series' proof program, see the Washington Quarter series history.