The new coin designs commemorating America’s 250th anniversary notably exclude one longstanding signature detail — the olive branch.
The symbol of peace has been wiped from the backside of the dime, which will be circulated for only one year as the country celebrates its sesquicentennial.
The dime’s redesign of the Great Seal of the United States, unveiled by the U.S. Mint in December, shows a bald eagle midflight clutching arrows in its left talon, a symbol of war, with the inscription “Liberty over Tyranny.” The bird’s right talon, which normally holds the emblematic olive branch, is empty.
The omission of the olive branch has drawn attention, as the Great Seal of the United States has not excluded the symbol of peace since its inception in 1782. The eagle always looks toward the olive branch, signifying the nation’s desire to “pursue peace” while standing ready to defend itself, according to the National Museum of American Diplomacy.
The front of the new coin includes the image of a “determined Liberty as the winds of revolution waft through her hair,” according to the U.S. Mint.
This redesign represents the American Revolution and the colonists’ fight for independence, according to the U.S. Mint.
The coinage, the brainchild of Eric David Custer, excludes the olive branch to show that the Colonies had not yet reached peace, he told Spotlight PA in February. In its place, a talon remains empty to show that the colonists were still waiting for it.
The reimagined dime’s design took place before President Trump’s reelection, having been reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee in 2024. U.S. Mint Deputy Director Kristie McNally said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who assumed office in 2025, gave the final nod of approval.
Congress authorized new imagery for the dime, quarter, half-dollar, penny and dollar coins, showcasing the 1776-2026 dates.
This marks the most extensive update to the coinage since the 1976 Bicentennial.
The dime had been introduced on the first birthday after former President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945. The 10-cent coin will return to featuring him in 2027.
The temporary coinage lets every American keep a piece of history, Ms. McNally said.
“The designs on these historic coins depict the story of America’s journey toward a ‘more perfect union,’ and celebrate America’s defining ideals of liberty. We hope to offer each American the opportunity to hold our nation’s storied 250 years of history in the palms of their hands as we Connect America through Coins,” she said in a statement.
The U.S. Mint began shipping Semiquincentennial coins on Jan. 5.
