What image appeared on the reverse of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial dollar?
Answer
Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon
The reverse of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial dollar showed the Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon.
Dennis R. Williams created the design for the Eisenhower dollar during the national competition for Bicentennial coin reverses. The composition combined the Liberty Bell, a longstanding symbol of American independence, with the Moon, reflecting the United States’ achievement in space exploration.
The design formed one part of a coordinated three-coin program. Jack L. Ahr’s quarter depicted a colonial drummer, and Seth Huntington’s half dollar showed Independence Hall. The three reverses were selected in 1974 and used on coins struck for the 1975–1976 Bicentennial issue.
The dollar’s obverse retained the Eisenhower portrait and carried the dual date 1776–1976. Circulating pieces were copper-nickel clad, while collector versions were also made with silver-clad composition. The Liberty Bell and Moon pairing is therefore specific to the Bicentennial Eisenhower dollar, not the similarly themed half dollar or quarter.