Which Founding Father appears on the obverse of the 2026 Constitution quarter?

James Madison appears on the obverse of the 2026 Constitution quarter.

Madison is widely called the “Father of the Constitution” because of his influential role in drafting, debating, and promoting the document. He took extensive notes at the Constitutional Convention and later helped defend ratification through the Federalist Papers.

The quarter's reverse shows Independence Hall, where the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787. The building's clocks display 2:50, a visual reference to the Constitution quarter's anniversary design rather than a historical time associated with the convention.

Madison was not the Constitution's sole author or the convention's presiding officer. George Washington presided over the convention, while many delegates shaped the final document. Madison's distinction rests on his unusually deep involvement in the drafting and ratification process.