Why the newest dimes are missing a symbol of peace in the US

(NEXSTAR) – Earlier this year, redesigned coins celebrating the nation’s semiquincentennial (aka, its 250th anniversary) were released to circulation. Now, one of these coins is causing a stir.

Some of the commemorative designs, which will only be minted this year, make minor changes. For example, on the nickels, a single change was made: instead of having the mint year on the face, they have “1776 ~ 2026” (as do all of the new coins). Meanwhile, there are five different designs for the semiquincentennial quarters.

The dime was almost entirely overhauled. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is gone from the face, while the torch, olive branch, and oak branch are no longer on the reverse. Instead, “Liberty as the winds of revolution waft through her hair” as “her liberty cap bears stars and stripes” is on the face, with an eagle clutching arrows with its talons above the text “ONE DIME” and “LIBERTY OVER TYRANNY” on the back.

While intricate, an apparently missing item on the reverse has sparked some questions.

Since the late 1700s, the U.S.’s seal has featured an eagle carrying 13 arrows in one talon, to represent the 13 colonies, and an olive branch in the other. The items in each talon were meant to represent the power of war and peace, respectively. The eagle’s head facing toward the olive branch was meant to symbolize America being “a nation of peace.”

But, as some have noticed, the eagle on the new dime is missing the olive branch, prompting comments on Reddit criticizing the design. Others questioned whether it was intentional, referencing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“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 condemned the design, told The Washington Post.

These commemorative coins had been in the works for years, with Congress passing and President Trump signing an act in 2021 calling for them to be minted in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. During the Biden administration, the Mint worked with a citizens advisory committee to propose various designs. As USA Today and The Washington Post reported, the designs were recommended for minting by the committee in 2024, and Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, gave them the final approval.

Further, the dime’s design is meant to acknowledge an early chapter in the nation’s history.

As other outlets noted, the designer of the honorary dime, medallic artist Eric David Custer, told Spotlight PA in February that the eagle’s empty talon was intentional. According to Custer, the dime’s reverse is a nod to the colonists of the American Revolution who were still awaiting peace.

The dime, as well as all of the coins being released this year, are meant to “commemorate 250 years of American Liberty by reflecting our country’s founding principles and honoring our Nation’s history,” the Mint previously explained.

“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,” said Acting Mint Director Kristie McNally. “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.”

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