Jack L. Ahr designed the reverse of the 1776–1976 Bicentennial quarter used during America’s 200th anniversary.
Ahr’s design showed a Colonial drummer beside a torch of victory surrounded by 13 stars. The stars represented the original 13 states, while the drummer evoked the Revolutionary era and the public celebrations associated with the Bicentennial.
The United States Mint selected the design through a nationwide competition for special reverses on the quarter, half dollar, and dollar. Ahr’s entry won the quarter category. The Mint’s chief engraver, Frank Gasparro, later made changes to the submitted design, including adjustments to the drum and lettering.
The coins were dated 1776–1976 rather than bearing separate 1975 or 1976 dates. This double date marked the span from the Declaration of Independence to the Bicentennial. Ahr’s design is sometimes associated with the 1876 painting Spirit of ’76, and historians have discussed similarities, but the official winning designer was Jack L. Ahr.