The main U.S. Bicentennial coins that preceded America250 carried the date range 1776–1976.
The United States Mint produced special Bicentennial designs for the quarter, half dollar, and dollar. These coins displayed the dual date 1776–1976 rather than a single year, signaling both the year of independence and the 200th-anniversary year.
The quarter showed a colonial drummer on the reverse, while the half dollar featured Independence Hall. The dollar displayed the Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon. These designs were used on coins struck in 1975 and 1976, even though the dual date remained 1776–1976.
The Bicentennial coin program is a useful comparison for America250. The 2026 semiquincentennial coinage likewise uses the founding year and anniversary year together, but its date is 1776~2026. The two programs are separated by fifty years and commemorate the same starting point: the Declaration of Independence.