1976 Silver Dollar Value:Bicentennial Types, Silver and Clad Issues

What is a 1776–1976 silver dollar worth?

Recognize the Bicentennial dollar

Why one date spans two production years

The dollar’s special reverse was part of the celebration of two hundred years of American independence. Dennis R. Williams designed the Liberty Bell and Moon combination, replacing the earlier eagle reverse for the Bicentennial coinage. The familiar Eisenhower portrait remained on the front.

Production occurred in 1975 and 1976, with the same 1776–1976 dual date. This is why a regular 1975-dated Eisenhower dollar is absent from a date collection. The Mint also changed the quarter and half-dollar reverses for the anniversary; the Bicentennial half-dollar guide covers the smaller Kennedy coin with Independence Hall.

The Eisenhower series overview explains the surrounding years; the 1974 dollar guide shows the preceding eagle reverse.

Type 1 versus Type 2: read the reverse lettering

Type 1 uses broad, block-like reverse letters; Type 2 uses finer letters with serifs. Inspect UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR, rather than relying on a vague impression of the bell. These are intended design varieties, not errors.

Type and metal answer different questions. A Type 1 is not automatically silver, and an S is not automatically silver either. The normal silver issues sold to the public used Type 1. A claim involving an unusual presentation piece belongs to specialist authentication, not an ordinary pocket-change price comparison.

Three checks before using a price

1. Confirm the denomination and dual date. The dollar has Eisenhower and the Liberty Bell/Moon reverse. A quarter with a drummer or a half dollar with Independence Hall needs its own chart.

2. Identify mint, metal and finish. Read the mark above the date. A copper-colored edge band and a weight near the clad specification support a clad identification. Packaging or reliable certification can help separate silver regular strikes from Proofs, but the coin must match the description.

3. Read the lettering and assess condition. Use the reverse comparison above, then evaluate wear, marks and original surface quality. Do not clean the coin to make the letters more distinct. The condition guide explains the grade terms used below.

1976 dollar value chart

PCGS retail guide estimates in US dollars, checked October 19, 2026. These are references for genuine, problem-free coins in the stated grade, not auction results or guaranteed offers. Cleaned, damaged and incorrectly graded coins need different comparisons.

The chart deliberately compares two Philadelphia clad types and the silver collector strike. It does not price Denver coins or Proofs. About Uncirculated (AU) allows slight wear; Mint State (MS) does not. The Type 1 premium at MS65 should not be assigned to a circulated example simply because it has the heavier letters.

For an S Proof, establish clad or silver before comparing the grade and any Cameo or Deep Cameo contrast. A retail set price can also include packaging and other coins; it is not necessarily the value of one dollar removed from the set.

For silver alone, use 0.3161 multiplied by a dated silver price per troy ounce. This is the fine-silver quantity in a normal 40% silver dollar, not its total weight. The result excludes collector premiums and transaction costs. A worn clad coin has no corresponding silver calculation.

Identify the version, then compare value

Frequently asked questions

References