Thirteen stars surrounded the torch on the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial quarter’s reverse.
The stars represented the thirteen original states that declared independence from Great Britain. They appeared around a torch of victory and a colonial drummer in the design by Jack L. Ahr.
The quarter was one of three special circulating coins issued for the Bicentennial. Its obverse retained George Washington, while the reverse changed temporarily and carried the double date 1776–1976. The half dollar and dollar received different reverse designs.
The number thirteen is a recurring symbol in American national iconography. It appears in the original flag’s stripes and in the stars used by many early national emblems. It is also distinct from the fifty stars on the modern U.S. flag, which represent the current states rather than the original colonies.