Which 1976 Bicentennial coin denomination entered circulation first?

The half dollar was the first 1976 Bicentennial coin denomination to enter circulation.

The United States Mint produced special quarter, half-dollar, and dollar designs for the national Bicentennial. Each coin retained its usual obverse portrait but received a temporary reverse and the dual date 1776–1976.

The half dollar entered circulation on July 7, 1975, during a ceremony in Minneapolis, the hometown of its designer, Seth Huntington. The quarter followed in September, and the dollar followed in October. Although all three coins are associated with 1976, their public release began in 1975.

The half dollar’s reverse depicts Independence Hall. The quarter features a colonial drummer, and the dollar shows the Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon. These circulating coins were intended to make the anniversary visible in everyday commerce rather than restrict it to special collector issues.