United States Mint Celebrates Release of Gettysburg Address Quarter

Final Semiquincentennial Coin to Enter Circulation

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The United States Mint (Mint) joined Gettysburg National Military Park to celebrate the release of the Gettysburg Address Quarter, the final quarter in the 2026 Semiquincentennial Circulating Coin Program. The quarter was released to Federal Reserve Banks and their designated coin terminals for distribution to financial institutions on October 19. Brandon Beach, Treasurer of the United States, and Paul Hollis, Director of the Mint, spoke at the event.

“More than 160 years after President Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, his words continue to resonate,” said United States Mint Director Paul Hollis. “This quarter carries his powerful message of liberty, sacrifice, and national purpose forward to a new generation.”

“Gettysburg is a place where the meaning of Lincoln’s words continues to resonate,” said Gettysburg National Military Park Superintendent Stephanie Stephens. “This quarter provides a unique opportunity to carry the Gettysburg Address—and its enduring message of sacrifice, liberty, and a government of the people—into the hands of Americans across the country.”

“As we reflect on the 250th anniversary of our country, the founding principles of liberty expressed in the Gettysburg Address continue to resonate,” said Barbara Sardella, interim President and CEO of Gettysburg Foundation. “Alongside the National Park Service at Gettysburg, we are committed to educating all generations and preserving the stories of those who sacrificed to protect these principles.”

The Gettysburg Address Quarter obverse (heads) features America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. Today, the Gettysburg Address is recognized as one of the most poignant and moving speeches in American history. Lincoln paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and appealed to all Americans to advance the principles for which the soldiers gave their lives. This portrait captures the profound burden of war on his weathered face, while his steady, forward-looking gaze reflects an unshakable resolve and determination to move the country forward as one indivisible nation. The inscriptions are “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “1776 ~ 2026.”

The reverse (tails) features the inscription “A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY,” a passage from President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Two hands grasping each other represent Lincoln’s efforts to hold the Nation together and his appeal to Americans to honor the dead and ensure “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” The inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “A NEW NATION CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY,” “25¢,” and “GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.” 

Authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-330), which was signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on January 13, 2021, these coins commemorate 250 years of American Liberty by reflecting our country’s founding principles and honoring our Nation’s history.

For more information on the Semiquincentennial Coin and Medal Program and future collectible products, visit the Mint's website.

About the United States Mint

Congress created the United States Mint in 1792, and the Mint became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. As the Nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage, the Mint is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; silver and bronze medals; and silver and gold bullion coins. Its numismatic programs are self-sustaining and operate at no cost to taxpayers.

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Sharon McPike
United States Mint
202-354-7222
Sharon.McPike@usmint.treas.gov