Melt values › 1976-S Bicentennial 40% silver coins
1976-S Bicentennial 40% silver coins melt value
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As of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET, a three-coin set is worth $26.49 in silver, per Bullion Price Check: 0.5379 troy oz × silver spot $49.25/oz (gold-api.com). Scarce dates and original Mint packaging can be worth more than melt.
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40% silver coins sell by silver content. Compare buyers and today's melt values for every US silver coin before you accept an offer.
Key facts
- Melt value: $26.49
- Silver: 0.5379 troy oz
- Silver spot: $49.25/oz
- Data time: Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET
For the 1976 Bicentennial, Congress ordered at least 45 million 40% silver versions of the new drummer-boy quarter, Independence Hall half dollar and Liberty Bell-and-moon dollar, all dated 1776–1976 (U.S. Mint: Bicentennial Coins and Medals). They were struck at San Francisco and sold only as three-piece sets, in proof and uncirculated versions, never as single coins and never released into circulation (U.S. Mint: Final Strikes of Silver Bicentennial Coins (1976)).
The everyday Bicentennial coins people find in change are copper-nickel clad and have no silver. Because the silver and clad versions share the same designs and the double date, telling them apart takes a closer look than the date alone.
Silver in each coin
| Coin | Weight (40% silver) | Weight (clad) | Silver (troy oz) | Melt value today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter (drummer boy) | 5.75 g | 5.67 g | 0.0739 | $3.64 |
| Half dollar (Independence Hall) | 11.50 g | 11.34 g | 0.1479 | $7.28 |
| Dollar (Liberty Bell and moon) | 24.59 g | 22.68 g | 0.3161 | $15.57 |
| Three-coin set | 0.5379 | $26.49 |
Quarter spec: Newman Numismatic Portal: 1976-S quarter, silver (5.75 g, .400); half and dollar weights as for the 40% Kennedy half and silver Eisenhower dollar.
Is mine silver?
- S mint mark is required. A Bicentennial coin with no mint mark or a D is clad. But the S alone is not enough: the regular 1976-S proof set also had clad Bicentennial coins.
- Edge: silver versions show a silvery edge; clad ones a copper stripe. This works on all three coins.
- Weight: the dollar is easiest (24.59 g against 22.68 g). The quarter and half differ by under 0.2 g, so they need a scale that reads to 0.01 g.
- Packaging: silver sets came as three-coin sets; a 1976 proof set with a cent, nickel and dime as well is the clad set.
Sets still sealed in original Mint packaging are the most common form today and usually sell near their silver value, with proof sets sometimes a little above it.
Melt value by quantity
| Sets | Silver (troy oz) | Melt value today |
|---|---|---|
| 1 three-coin set | 0.5379 | $26.49 |
| 5 sets | 2.6895 | $132.47 |
| 10 sets | 5.3790 | $264.94 |
| 20 sets | 10.7580 | $529.87 |
| 100 sets | 53.7900 | $2,649.37 |
Sources: U.S. Mint: Bicentennial Coins and Medals · U.S. Mint: Final Strikes of Silver Bicentennial Coins (1976) · Newman Numismatic Portal: 1976-S quarter, silver (5.75 g, .400). Silver content = weight × 0.400 ÷ 31.1035.
Related: all coin melt values · 40% Kennedy halves · 40% silver Ikes · Bicentennial silver sets · 1964 90% Kennedy halves · sell silver coins
Frequently asked questions
Are Bicentennial quarters silver?
Only the 40% silver 1976-S quarters from the Mint's three-piece silver sets. Bicentennial quarters from circulation (no mint mark or D) are copper-nickel clad.
How much silver is in a 1976-S silver Bicentennial set?
0.5379 troy oz in total: quarter 0.0739, half 0.1479 and dollar 0.3161. At spot $49.25/oz the set melts at $26.49 as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET.
How do I know if my 1976-S proof set is silver or clad?
The silver set has only three coins (quarter, half, dollar). The six-coin 1976-S proof set with a cent, nickel and dime is clad. A silvery edge with no copper stripe confirms silver.
Is a 1976 Bicentennial half dollar silver?
Only the 1976-S coin from a silver set, which weighs 11.50 g. Circulation Bicentennial halves weigh 11.34 g and contain no silver.
Page added Oct 19, 2026; scheduled for a 90-day performance review (Jan 2027).
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