Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 5616, the $2.50 for America's 250th Act, sponsored by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt). This legislation directs the Treasury Secretary to mint and issue a $2.50 collectible coin to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence later this year. Under this bill, the Treasury would also conduct a study to evaluate minting and issuing a separate $2.50 coin for wide circulation in the United States.
H.R. 5616: $2.50 for America’s 250th Act
Introduced Sep 30, 202561 cosponsors
Sponsor
Robert Aderholt
Republican · AL-4
Bill Progress
IntroducedSep 30
Committee
Pass HouseFeb 9
Pass Senate
Signed
Law
Latest Action · Feb 12, 2026
1/4
Passed the House, received in Senate
America's 250th brings back the $2.50 gold coin
3 min readLast updated May 19, 2026
Why it matters
The last $2.50 coin left American pockets nearly a century ago. H.R. 5616 brings it back for the country's 250th birthday — up to 1.15 million coins in gold, silver, and a regular-metal version — and orders Treasury to study whether the $2.50 belongs in everyday change again.
The $2.50 coin — collectors call it the "quarter eagle" — was a real circulating U.S. coin for more than a century before it disappeared. The last one struck for the public was a commemorative made in 1926 for the country's 150th birthday. H.R. 5616 deliberately revives that idea for the 250th.
Treasury would mint up to 100,000 gold versions, 300,000 silver, and 750,000 in regular coin metal. All three carry the 1926 design: allegorical Liberty holding the Declaration of Independence on the front, Independence Hall on the back, stamped "Semiquincentennial of the United States" and "1776–2026." Congress wants them issued by July 4, 2026.
The bigger question is whether the $2.50 should return for good. The bill orders Treasury to study a $2.50 coin for everyday circulation — production costs, whether it's worth it next to other coins, and the effect on banks, vending machines, and transit fare boxes — and report to Congress by September 15, 2026. That study, not the commemorative coins, is what could actually change the change in your pocket.
H.R. 5616 Bill Summary
What H.R. 5616 actually does.
1
The $2.50 coin returns for the 250th
Treasury must mint and issue commemorative $2.50 coins in gold, silver, and regular metal to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
2
Three versions, capped quantities
No more than 100,000 gold coins, 300,000 silver, and 750,000 in standard (clad) metal — with set weights and diameters for each.
3
A revival of the 1926 design
The coins reuse the 1926 Sesquicentennial design — Liberty with the Declaration of Independence, Independence Hall — and are inscribed "Semiquincentennial of the United States" and "1776–2026."
4
A study on bringing the $2.50 back for real
Treasury must study whether a $2.50 coin should circulate nationwide — costs, benefits, physical design, seigniorage, and a possible phased rollout — and report to Congress by September 15, 2026.
5
Industry gets consulted
The circulation study must include input from commercial banks, cash-handling businesses, consumer groups, and the vending and transit industries.
Who benefits from H.R. 5616?
Coin collectors
The first $2.50 coin in roughly a century. The gold version holds about a tenth of a troy ounce of gold — worth far more than its $2.50 face value — and the low gold and silver caps make those the scarce ones to chase.
Anyone who wants a piece of the 250th
The bill's findings argue every citizen should be able to own one. The regular-metal version is the affordable entry point — a tangible tie to 1776 without paying gold-coin prices.
Teachers, museums, and history buffs
A physical object that connects the 1776 founding, the 1926 sesquicentennial, and the 2026 anniversary in one coin.
The U.S. Mint
A new collectible line to sell above face value, plus a fully scoped roadmap if a circulating $2.50 ever moves forward.
Who is affected by H.R. 5616?
Treasury and the U.S. Mint
Have to design and strike three coin versions on a July 4, 2026 target and deliver a full circulation feasibility study by September 15, 2026.
Banks and retailers
The commemorative coins change nothing for cash handlers — they're collectibles. A circulating $2.50 would mean sorting and stocking a brand-new denomination, but only if the later study leads to one.
Vending and transit operators
Coin mechanisms and fare boxes would need updating to accept a circulating $2.50 — again, only if circulation moves past the study stage.
The Federal Reserve
Named in the study's required rollout plan as the coordinator for distributing any future circulating $2.50 coin through the banking system.
On the Record
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 5616 has come up 17 times in the Congressional Record so far.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the bill sponsored by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt), my good friend, the $2.50 for America's 250th Act. The greatest experiment in the history of the world, the United States of America, is still going stronger than ever, and 2026 marks our Nation's 250th birthday, an incredible feat as our Founders came together, found common ground, and voted to declare independence from Great Britain. Over the past 250 years, America has embodied the shining city on the hill that John Winthrop envisioned in his famous 1630 sermon.
H.R. 5616 also appeared in 1 more House floor reference and 11 routine cosponsor filings.
HR5616 Legislative Journey
Sent to Senate
Feb 12, 2026
Received in the Senate.
+1 more action this day
House: Vote Held
Feb 9, 2026
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2048)
House: Committee Action
Sep 30, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
About the Sponsor
Robert Aderholt
Republican, Alabama's 4th congressional district · 29 years in Congress
Committees: Appropriations
View full profile →
Cosponsors (61)
No new cosponsors in 119 days — momentum stalled
This bill has 61 cosponsors: 24 Democrats, 37 Republicans, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 25 states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, and 22 more.
24Democrats37Republicans·25 statesBipartisan
Bonnie Watson Coleman
Democrat · NJ
Maria Salazar
Republican · FL
Dwight Evans
Democrat · PA
Daniel Meuser
Republican · PA
Russ Fulcher
Republican · ID
Brendan Boyle
Democrat · PA
Madeleine Dean
Democrat · PA
Barry Moore
Republican · AL
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican · PA
Jim Costa
Democrat · CA
Bennie Thompson
Democrat · MS
John Rose
Republican · TN
Committee Sponsors
Financial Services Committee
23D30R
|5 signed48 not yet5 of 53 committee members cosponsored
25 Republicans across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 5616 Quick Facts
Cosponsors
61
- Committee
- Financial Services
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Introduced
- Sep 30, 2025
Passed the House, received in Senate
Feb 12, 2026
Official Sources
H.R. 5616 — Full text and status (Congress.gov)
The official bill page with full text, the voice-vote House passage, and the 61 cosponsors.
U.S. Mint — 250th Anniversary (Semiquincentennial) Coins
The U.S. Mint's official program for coins marking the country's 250th anniversary, the occasion this $2.50 coin commemorates.
U.S. Mint — Commemorative Coins
How Congress authorizes commemorative coins like this one and how the Mint sells them above face value.
U.S. Mint — Coin Specifications
Official weights, diameters, and metal compositions — the kind of physical specs Treasury's circulation study must propose for a $2.50 coin.
31 U.S.C. § 5112 — Denominations, specifications, and design of coins
The coinage statute H.R. 5616 amends by adding a new subsection authorizing the $2.50 numismatic coin.
Federal Reserve — Currency and Coin Services
The Federal Reserve's coin distribution role, which the bill's required rollout plan must coordinate with for any circulating $2.50 coin.
U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
The Senate committee that received H.R. 5616 and would receive Treasury's September 15, 2026 circulation study report.
H.R. 5616 Common Questions
What does the $2.50 for America's 250th Act do?
H.R. 5616 brings back the $2.50 coin — the old "quarter eagle" — as a collectible for the country's 250th birthday, in gold, silver, and regular metal. It also orders Treasury to study whether a $2.50 coin should return to everyday circulation.
Will the $2.50 coin be used as regular money again?
Not yet, and maybe never. The commemorative coins are collectibles. H.R. 5616 only requires Treasury to study a circulating $2.50 coin — costs, benefits, and a possible rollout plan — and report to Congress by September 15, 2026. Circulation is not approved.
How much gold is in the $2.50 America 250 coin?
The gold version weighs 4.1795 grams and is at least 90% gold — roughly a tenth of a troy ounce. That is worth far more than the $2.50 stamped on it, which is why these sell as collectibles, not pocket change. Only 100,000 gold coins can be made.
What will the new $2.50 America 250 coin look like?
It revives the 1926 design: allegorical Liberty holding the Declaration of Independence on the front, Independence Hall on the back. Each coin is inscribed "Semiquincentennial of the United States" and "1776–2026."
When will the $2.50 America 250 coin be released?
Congress wants the coins minted and issued by July 4, 2026 — or as soon as it is technically and economically feasible after that. It is a target the bill sets, not a hard legal deadline.
How many $2.50 America 250 coins will be made?
Up to 1.15 million total: no more than 100,000 in gold, 300,000 in silver, and 750,000 in regular coin metal. The gold and silver versions are capped low, making them the scarce ones for collectors.
Has the U.S. ever had a $2.50 coin before?
Yes. The $2.50 "quarter eagle" was a circulating U.S. gold coin for over a century, and the Mint struck a $2.50 commemorative for the country's 150th birthday in 1926. H.R. 5616 deliberately echoes that 1926 coin for the 250th.
Has H.R. 5616 passed?
The House passed it by voice vote on February 9, 2026, with 61 bipartisan cosponsors, and the Senate received it on February 12, 2026. An identical Senate bill, S. 2952, is also pending. It is not yet law.
Based on H.R. 5616 bill text
H.R. 5616 Bill Text
“To amend title 31, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue $2.50 numismatic coins, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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