The United States Bicentennial in 1976 marked 200 years of American independence, and to commemorate this milestone, special editions of the quarter, half-dollar, and dollar coins were minted.
While most of these quarters are worth only their face value or a small premium to collectors, some rare specimens have reached astonishing prices at auction.
Here, we explore three such Bicentennial quarters that have sold for nearly the price of a luxury Mini Cooper Special Edition worth $250,000.
One of the most sought-after Bicentennial quarters is the 1976-S proof coin with a major error – the absence of the 'S' mint mark.
Typically, proof coins from the San Francisco Mint are marked with an 'S', distinguishing them from coins minted in Philadelphia or Denver.
However, a small batch of these proof quarters was mistakenly produced without the mint mark, making them incredibly rare.
The rarity of this error has driven its value to extraordinary heights. In 2016, one such coin was sold at auction for $200,000.