The dime is getting a new look for the 250th anniversary of the United States, and keen eyes have noticed the Mint dropped an important symbol of American power: the olive branch. Although it was released before Operation Epic Fury kicked off, new scrutiny comes at a time when many Americans are concerned about the U.S. military’s increasing foreign interventions.
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American currency is big on symbolism. The weird choice of an unfinished pyramid on the back of the dollar represents not only a nation still under construction, but also has 13 levels that represent the 13 original colonies. The last iteration of the penny was an homage to Abraham Lincoln, featuring his profile and the Union shield, which symbolized the continued union of the states.
Since 1946, the dime has been a similar homage, honoring President Franklin D. Roosevelt, his leadership during World War II, and his role in creating the March of Dimes. One side featured FDR’s profile. The torch on the other side represented liberty, and its flame was for enlightenment and the continued endurance of democracy. The oak branch stood for strength and independence, while the olive branch is a traditional symbol of peace.
The olive branch was also an important part of the Great Seal of the United States, first used in 1782. Since that early design, the eagle has clutched a bundle of arrows in one talon (a symbol for war) and an olive branch in the other. In 1945, President Harry S. Truman declared that the eagle’s head should always be facing the olive branch.
The old dime design has been replaced for the 2026 semiquincentennial year, dubbed “SemiQ” by the U.S. Mint. Roosevelt’s profile is now a modern “Determined Liberty” figure on one side. The torch, and the oak are all gone, replaced by an eagle clutching only arrows—no olive branch.
This change might have been less conspicuous if America’s 250th anniversary year hadn’t been filled with U.S. military attacks on geopolitical adversaries, since almost the first day of 2026. The United States attacked and raided Venezuela on Jan. 3 to capture dictator Nicolas Maduro. Just 56 days later, the U.S. is embroiled in a conflict with Iran that is now extending into its third week.
Although the dime was unveiled on Dec. 11, 2025, it has still drawn criticism in the context of the war with Iran.
“The design of the new dime long predates Operation Epic Fury and only accentuates how easily a poor design could be misinterpreted or misappropriated,” Frank L. Holt, an emeritus professor of history at the University of Houston, who has studied the history of coins, told the Washington Post. “Money talks, but it should speak plainly and with clear purpose.”
“The olive branch has anchored American iconography for 250 years…” Catherina Gioino wrote in Fortune. “Its absence from the very coin marking that anniversary is a curious choice, if not a telling one.”
While it’s hard not to see the intersection between the new Liberty dime and another Middle East conflict as a sign of the times, the dime’s design was in place before President Trump was elected. It also really does have a deeper meaning, one that reaches back to 1776.
Pennsylvania artist Eric David Custer has worked for the U.S. Mint since 2008. As the creator of the dime’s new look, he told SpotlightPA that he was inspired by a trip to the Museum of the American Revolution. His design begins with the Great Seal, but he left out the olive branch because the colonies “had not yet achieved peace.” The eagle’s other claw is open, he said, to show that the colonists were ready and waiting for it.
None of this means the Trump Administration had no input on the new designs. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent axed Biden-era approvals for quarter designs that he said were related to “DEI and Critical Race Theory.” The scrapped designs honored Ruby Bridges and the Civil Rights Movement, Frederick Douglass and the abolition of slavery, and World War I-era women’s suffragettes.
Olive branches have not been removed from other coins offered by the Mint in 2026. It will offer its “Best of the Mint” gold and silver sets. The 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief $20 Gold Coin, the 1916 “Walking Liberty” half-dollar, and the 1916 “Standing Liberty” quarter coins feature some kind of olive branch.
Introducing the U.S. Mint 2026 Semiquincentennial Circulating Coin Designs
Though this change has brought a lot of attention to the new Liberty dime, it’s not the only coin getting a new look for America’s anniversary year. The quarter will see five new designs related to U.S. history. Quarter designs will remember the Mayflower Compact, the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address.
The half-dollar will not feature President John F. Kennedy, but will be replaced by an “Enduring Liberty” piece. Kennedy will return in 2027. And while the U.S. is no longer circulating pennies, the Mint will still offer a 2026 collectible penny with the 1776-2026 dual date.
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