What figure is shown on the reverse of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial quarter?

A colonial drummer is shown on the reverse of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial quarter.

The design, created by Jack L. Ahr, depicts a drummer boy beside a victory torch and thirteen stars. It commemorated the 200th anniversary of American independence and appeared on quarters struck in 1975 and 1976, which carried the dual date 1776–1976.

The drummer was intended to evoke the Revolutionary period without portraying one specific historical person. The thirteen stars referred to the original thirteen states. The same bicentennial program also changed the reverses of the half dollar and dollar.

The figure is sometimes called a minuteman because both images are associated with the Revolution, but the quarter’s official design is a colonial drummer. The 1976 quarter therefore provides a useful comparison with the five temporary quarter designs planned for America250 in 2026.