Best of the Mint 2026

About the Program

Best of the Mint is part of the U.S. Mint's program for the 250th anniversary of independence. The Mint started from a field of 21 historic U.S. coins, asked the public to rate them in a survey, and sent the five highest-rated designs to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts before the Treasury Secretary approved them. Each was issued once, in 2026, as a set: a 24-karat (.9999) gold coin that recreates the design with its original date and a Liberty Bell privy mark numbered 250, and a new one-ounce .999 silver medal by a present-day artist that reinterprets it.

All five gold coins were struck at West Point and all five medals at Philadelphia. The Mint lists every piece with an uncirculated finish; set prices change weekly with the price of gold.

The Issues

Set	Gold coin	Released	Limit (sets)	Sales reported, mid-October 2026
1916 Mercury dime	1/10 oz, dime, 16.5 mm	June 4	30,000	29,722
1916 Standing Liberty quarter	1/4 oz, quarter, 22 mm	July 10	30,000	16,978
1916 Walking Liberty half dollar	1/2 oz, half dollar, 27 mm	August 6	30,000	10,354
1804 dollar	1 oz, $1, 30.61 mm	August 27	15,000	12,224
1907 Saint-Gaudens high relief	1 oz, $20, 30.61 mm	September 24	15,000	9,146

The sales are the Mint's weekly figures as CoinNews reported them; the sets were still on sale, so none is final.

The medals. Kathryn Hudson designed the Mercury dime medal, sculpted by Craig A. Campbell, a panorama of the era of the two World Wars and the Depression. Esao Andrews designed the Standing Liberty medal, a windswept Liberty handing olive branches to an eagle, sculpted by Joseph F. Menna and Darla Jackson. Andrew Sides's Walking Liberty medal is an Art Deco scene running across both sides, sculpted by Renata Gordon and Eric Custer. Joseph V. Noorigian, a Mint medallic artist, designed and sculpted the 1804 medal, and Jesse Hernandez designed the Saint-Gaudens medal.

How to Tell Them Apart

Dates. The gold coins carry only their original dates, 1916, 1804 and MCMVII, with the Liberty Bell 250 privy mark. The 2016 Centennial gold coins of the three 1916 designs are dated 2016, have no privy mark, and add AU 24K and the weight.
Mint marks. Only the Mercury dime has a W, on the reverse.
Edges. The dime, quarter and half have reeded edges. The 1804 dollar has HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT in raised letters and the double eagle E PLURIBUS UNUM, as the originals did.
Size. The 1804 dollar and the double eagle share one size, 30.61 mm.

Composition and Gold Content

Gold coins: 99.99% gold; 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1 troy ounce of gold for the dime, quarter, half, 1804 dollar and double eagle.
Silver medals: 99.9% silver, one troy ounce, 40.60 mm, plain edge, no mint mark.

In Our Catalog

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FAQ

What is the Best of the Mint series?

Five sets the U.S. Mint issued in 2026 for the 250th anniversary of independence. Each pairs a 24-karat gold coin that recreates a classic U.S. coin design, with its original date and a Liberty Bell privy mark numbered 250, with a new one-ounce silver medal on the same theme. The Mint chose the five from a field of 21 historic coins after a public survey and review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the Commission of Fine Arts.

Do the Best of the Mint gold coins have mint marks?

Only the Mercury dime, which has a W on the reverse. All five gold coins were struck at West Point, but the quarter, half dollar, 1804 dollar and Saint-Gaudens double eagle carry no mint mark. The silver medals were struck at Philadelphia and have no mint mark either.

Are the Best of the Mint coins proofs?

No. The Mint lists every gold coin and every medal in the series with an uncirculated finish. Early reports before the specifications came out called the 1804 coin a proof. The grading services have been grading the coins on the specimen (SP) scale.

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