The United States Mint has released the Gettysburg Address Quarter, the fifth and final design in its 2026 Semiquincentennial Circulating Coin Program, and it chose the most fitting stage it could for the occasion. Mint officials joined Gettysburg National Military Park to mark the release at the site where Abraham Lincoln delivered his address in November 1863. The quarters themselves had already left the Mint, shipped to Federal Reserve Banks and their designated coin terminals for distribution to financial institutions on October 19.
The release brings a one year program to its conclusion. Across 2026 the Mint has walked collectors through the arc of the nation’s founding in five quarters, beginning with the Mayflower Compact in January and moving through the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Ending the series not at Philadelphia in 1776 but at a battlefield in 1863 is a deliberate editorial choice, and it is the one that gives the set its shape: the founding, and then the moment the founding was tested.
Lincoln on the Obverse
The obverse of the Gettysburg Address Quarter carries a portrait of Lincoln, the 16th President, rendered as a man visibly carrying the weight of the war. The Mint describes a weathered face paired with a steady, forward looking gaze, a portrait meant to hold the cost of the conflict and the resolve to see it through in the same image. It is a sombre reading of Lincoln rather than a heroic one, and it suits a coin built around a speech delivered at the dedication of a cemetery.
The obverse inscriptions are E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST and the dual date 1776 ~ 2026, the shared date treatment that ties every coin in the program back to the anniversary it marks.
A New Nation Conceived in Liberty
The reverse turns from the man to his words. Its central inscription, A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY, is drawn from the address itself, and beneath it two hands clasp one another. The Mint frames the gesture as an emblem of Lincoln’s effort to hold the Union together, and of his call to honour the dead by ensuring that government of, by and for the people would endure. Rounding out the reverse are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 25¢ and GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.
There is an economy to the design worth noticing. The address runs to only a few hundred words, and the coin quotes just five of them. The clasped hands do the rest of the work, carrying the theme of reunion without attempting to illustrate the battle or the crowd at the cemetery.
The Ceremony at Gettysburg
Brandon Beach, Treasurer of the United States, and Mint Director Paul Hollis both spoke at the event. Hollis framed the quarter as a vehicle for Lincoln’s message of liberty, sacrifice and national purpose, handed on to a new generation more than 160 years after the speech was given.
Park Superintendent Stephanie Stephens made the case for the circulating format itself, describing the quarter as a way to carry the address and its message “into the hands of Americans across the country.” That is the particular argument for a circulating commemorative over a collector issue: the coin reaches people who will never visit the battlefield and never buy a proof set. Barbara Sardella, interim President and CEO of the Gettysburg Foundation, tied the release to the 250th anniversary and to the Foundation’s educational work alongside the National Park Service.
Where the Gettysburg Quarter Sits in the Series
The five 2026 quarters, along with a new dime and half dollar, were authorized under the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, Public Law 116-330, signed on January 13, 2021. Every design is a one year issue.
| Order | Quarter | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayflower Compact | Colonial self governance |
| 2 | Revolutionary War | The fight for independence |
| 3 | Declaration of Independence | The founding statement |
| 4 | U.S. Constitution | The framework of government |
| 5 | Gettysburg Address | The Union tested and renewed |
Gettysburg Address Quarter Rolls and Bags
Collectors who would rather not wait on the bank have a second route. The Mint will offer Gettysburg Address Quarter rolls and bags from November 13, 2026, at 12 noon ET. The 2-roll set pairs a Denver roll with a Philadelphia roll, 80 circulating quality coins in all, for $56. The 100-coin bag holds Philadelphia strikes only and sells for $63. Both carry a household order limit of 2. At the time of writing, the Mint lists no mintage limit and no product limit for either.
| Product | Mintmarks | Coins | Face value | Price | Household limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-roll set | D and P | 80 | $20 | $56 | 2 |
| 100-coin bag | P | 100 | $25 | $63 | 2 |
The coins themselves are standard circulating quarters: cupro-nickel clad, 5.670 grams, 0.955 inch (24.26 mm) across, with a reeded edge. Unlike the Declaration of Independence issue earlier in the year, the Mint lists no privy mark for this release. What the rolls and bags offer is not a different coin but a guarantee: mint fresh examples from known mints, without hoping the right quarter turns up in change.
A Fitting Last Word
The Gettysburg Address Quarter closes the 2026 program on its most reflective note. The first four quarters celebrate the making of the nation; the fifth asks what it costs to keep it. For collectors assembling the complete Semiquincentennial set from pocket change, this is the final coin to find, and with the series ending this year, the window to find all five in circulation is a short one. For everyone else, it is a rare chance to carry five words of the Gettysburg Address around in a pocket, which is more or less what Lincoln’s audience at the cemetery was asked to do with the rest of it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Gettysburg Address Quarter? The Gettysburg Address Quarter is the fifth and final circulating quarter in the U.S. Mint’s 2026 Semiquincentennial Circulating Coin Program, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. It features Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and the inscription A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY, taken from his 1863 address, on the reverse.
When was the Gettysburg Address Quarter released? The Mint released the quarter to Federal Reserve Banks and their designated coin terminals for distribution to financial institutions on October 19, 2026. The Mint then marked the release with an event at Gettysburg National Military Park, announced on October 21, 2026.
How can I get a Gettysburg Address Quarter? Because it is a circulating coin, it reaches the public through banks and in everyday change as financial institutions order new quarters. Availability in any given area depends on local bank orders, so it may take some time to appear. The U.S. Mint will also sell a 2-roll set and a 100-coin bag from November 13, 2026.
Is the Gettysburg Address Quarter worth more than 25 cents? Coins taken from circulation are legal tender worth 25 cents, and the quarter is a circulating issue rather than a limited collector product. Collector interest may attach to well preserved examples and to complete sets of all five 2026 designs, but a typical circulated piece should be treated as a quarter.
What does the reverse of the 2026 Gettysburg quarter show? The reverse shows two hands clasping each other beneath the inscription A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY. The Mint describes the hands as representing Lincoln’s efforts to hold the nation together and his appeal to honour the dead by preserving government of the people. The reverse also reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 25¢ and GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.
Does the Gettysburg Address Quarter replace George Washington on the quarter? For this design the obverse carries a portrait of Lincoln rather than Washington. The 2026 Semiquincentennial quarters are one year designs, each with its own obverse and reverse, issued under the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020.
How much are Gettysburg Address Quarter rolls and bags? The U.S. Mint’s 2-roll set, with one Denver and one Philadelphia roll totalling 80 coins, costs $56. The 100-coin bag of Philadelphia quarters costs $63. Both go on sale November 13, 2026, at 12 noon ET, with a household order limit of 2 and, at the time of writing, no listed mintage or product limit.
How many Semiquincentennial quarters are there? There are five 2026 Semiquincentennial quarters: the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address designs. The Gettysburg Address Quarter is the last of the five to be released.
