Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is offering a $5,000 reward for the first 1776 ~ 2026 Declaration of Independence quarter bearing the limited "JULY 4th" privy mark submitted through its Quarter Quest promotion.
The U.S. Mint released only 250,000 of these quarters into circulation. They are randomly mixed with standard Declaration of Independence quarters and distributed through banks and financial institutions nationwide.
The winning coin will receive a PCGS "First Discovery" pedigree on the company’s Semiquincentennial Special Label. The reward will be awarded based on the earliest postmark date of the qualifying submission, rather than the date the package is physically received.
Eligibility is limited to PCGS Collectors Club members and authorized dealers in good standing. Submissions must be made at the Regular service level or higher, with "FD26" clearly written on all sides of the package and noted on the submission form.
Following identification of the First Discovery coin, qualifying submissions received within the subsequent 90 days will be eligible for an "Early Find" pedigree and the 250th anniversary label.
Identifying the July 4 Privy Quarter
Collectors can identify the special issue by the "JULY 4th" privy mark to the left of Thomas Jefferson’s portrait. The dual-dated coin lacks a mint mark, distinguishing it from standard Declaration of Independence quarters produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints.
The reverse retains the standard Declaration of Independence design, showing the Liberty Bell in motion with its historic crack visible. Surrounding inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, LIBERTY, QUARTER DOLLAR and THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
The 250,000 privy-marked coins represent only a tiny share of the Declaration quarters expected to enter circulation. As of the end of May, the Mint had produced 89.8 million standard examples of this design, with projections indicating the final mintage will exceed 200 million based on output patterns from the first two 2026 quarters in the series.
Full details, including submission guidelines and official rules, are available on the PCGS Quarter Quest page.
