Jack L. Ahr designed the reverse of the 1976 Bicentennial quarter.
Ahr’s design showed a Colonial drummer beside a torch of victory, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original colonies. The Treasury selected it through a nationwide competition for special Bicentennial reverse designs.
The other two circulating Bicentennial coins used different designs. Seth Huntington designed the reverse of the half dollar with Independence Hall, while Dennis R. Williams designed the dollar reverse showing the Liberty Bell superimposed against the Moon.
The Mint’s chief engraver, Frank Gasparro, made several technical adjustments to the winning designs before production. The Bicentennial coins carried the dual date “1776–1976,” rather than a single year. The quarter design is therefore often remembered simply as the Colonial drummer quarter, but its credited designer was Jack L. Ahr.