Thirteen stars surround the colonial drummer on the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial quarter. They represent the 13 original states that declared independence from Great Britain and formed the early United States.
The quarter was designed by Jack L. Ahr and issued as part of a three-coin circulating Bicentennial set. Its reverse combines the drummer, a torch of victory, and the ring of stars. The obverse retains the familiar portrait of George Washington, but the date appears as 1776–1976 rather than as a single year.
The number 13 is symbolic, not a count of all states in 1976. The United States had 50 states by then, and the 13 stars deliberately point back to the original colonies. Similar 13-star symbolism appears on the Great Seal, the flag’s first design traditions, and other early national imagery.
The quarter’s stars should also not be confused with the Liberty Bell-and-Moon imagery used on the Bicentennial dollar.