The U.S. Mint changed the dime, quarter, and half dollar designs for 2026 to mark the country’s 250th anniversary. These 250th Anniversary Coins feature special designs, with five new quarter designs being issued throughout the year. Each quarter carries the dual date “1776–2026.” Plenty of people in Lynbrook and across Long Island have been saving these new quarters from their change. The silver proof set released by the Mint in June has already sold out.
The 2026 quarter value depends on which version you have. The quarters, dimes, and half dollars in everyday change contain no silver and are worth face value unless one has a real mint error. The silver proof versions, sold only in Mint sets, are 99.9% silver. Their value moves with the price of silver, and resale prices for the sealed set ran above the Mint’s issue price this summer.
Collectors Coins & Jewelry in Lynbrook buys gold and silver coins and bullion. Sorting out which 2026 coins have metal value and which are pocket change takes only a few minutes once you know what to look for.
Is the 2026 Quarter in Your Change Worth More Than 25 Cents?
A 2026 quarter from your change is worth 25 cents in almost every case. The Mint stopped putting silver in the circulating dime and quarter in 1965, and by 1971 none of the circulating coins contained any. The 2026 Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Gettysburg Address quarters follow the same composition, so a full set from your change is worth $1.25.
The Mint’s Semiquincentennial media kit confirms these designs are for one year, and the Mint notes the dime’s design had not changed in 80 years before the new Emerging Liberty dime. In 2027, the dime goes back to its previous design. The quarter and half dollar switch to new reverses honoring youth and Paralympic sports. That makes the 2026 coins a natural set to save, though circulating coins are made in very large numbers for everyday use, so a circulated example is unlikely to gain much value.
What Makes the Silver Proof Set Different?
A proof coin is a collector version struck at least twice on polished dies and burnished blanks, which gives it sharper detail than a circulating coin. The 2026 silver proof set holds 10 proof coins with an “S” mint mark from San Francisco. According to CoinNews, seven of them are 99.9% silver, namely the dime, the five quarters, and the half dollar, which together contain 1.473 troy ounces of silver.
CoinNews reported that the set went on sale June 11, 2026, at $245, and a follow-up CoinNews report said it became unavailable shortly after release, once the Mint raised its limit to 271,250 sets. That same report listed resale prices for complete sets of $310 to $349.95. At Kitco’s spot silver price of $53.72 an ounce late on October 28, the silver in those seven coins was worth about $79. Collector demand accounts for the rest of the set’s value. For that reason, a sealed set in its original packaging and a loose handful of the same coins can bring different offers.
Keep the coins in the Mint’s capsules and box, along with the certificate of authenticity. Removing a proof coin from its capsule exposes the mirror surface to fingerprints and scratches that can lower its value.
What About the Gold and Silver Pieces With the 250 Privy Mark?
A privy mark is a small added symbol on a coin’s design that marks a special issue. In 2026, the Mint added a Liberty Bell privy mark with the numeral “250” to several of its collector programs, and American Eagle coins also carry the 1776 ~ 2026 dual date. A gold or silver American Eagle with that mark is a bullion coin first, so its metal content sets a floor under its value.
The Mint’s Best of the Mint sets need a closer look. Each pairs a 24-karat gold coin with a 1-ounce silver companion medal. A medal is not a coin and has no face value, so a buyer prices the silver medal on its silver content and any collector demand. If you aren’t sure whether a coin in a collection is worth sending for grading, our Lynbrook post on when coins deserve grading walks through what buyers look at. At Collectors Coins & Jewelry in Lynbrook, we evaluate gold and silver coins in front of you.
Bring Your 2026 Coins to Lynbrook
Set the circulating quarters aside for your album, and keep the proof set sealed in its box with the certificate. Bring it to Collectors Coins & Jewelry in Lynbrook for a free, no-obligation evaluation, or call us at (516) 341-7355 and contact our Lynbrook store with any questions first.