Baseball, Snowboarding and a New Kennedy Half Dollar: Meet the U.S. Mint’s 2027 Coins
A young baseball player steps into the batter’s box. A golfer follows through on a powerful swing. Meanwhile, a snowboarder soars above a mountain landscape.
These scenes will soon appear on something far more familiar than a sports trading card. They will appear on America’s circulating quarters.
On October 26, 2026, the United States Mint unveiled its new Youth Sports Coin Collection, a four-year program that will transform the nation’s quarters and half dollars from 2027 through 2030.
The program calls for 20 quarter designs celebrating youth sports and four half dollars honoring Paralympic sports. Together, these 24 coins will bring a new generation of athletes into American numismatic history.
For collectors, the announcement marks another major chapter in the evolution of modern U.S. coinage. However, its greatest impact may come from the young people who discover coin collecting through a sport they love.
From American History to America’s Playing Fields
For nearly three decades, the United States Mint has used the quarter to introduce Americans to their country’s history and culture.
The 50 State Quarters Program began in 1999 and became a collecting phenomenon. Later, the America the Beautiful Quarters celebrated national parks and historic sites.
Next came the American Women Quarters Program, which honored 20 extraordinary women from 2022 through 2025.
In 2026, the Mint turned its attention to the nation’s 250th anniversary. Special designs celebrated defining events in American history.
Now, the focus shifts from historic achievements to the playing fields, gymnasiums, swimming pools, and winter slopes where young Americans pursue their ambitions.
The new program recognizes something familiar to millions of families. Sports help young people develop discipline, friendships, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment.
U.S. Mint Director Paul Hollis emphasized that connection in announcing the program.
“Participation in sports teaches teamwork, perseverance, and the value of working toward a common goal,” Hollis said.
He also stressed the Mint’s opportunity to inspire national pride and recognize the importance of sports in American life.
Hollis brings an unusual perspective to the announcement. Before becoming the Mint’s 41st director in January 2026, he spent more than 30 years as a professional numismatist.
Five New Quarter Designs Launch the Program in 2027
The first five Youth Sports quarters will celebrate baseball, golf, soccer, softball, and snowboarding.
Rather than focus on famous professional athletes, the designs capture the energy of young people participating in their favorite sports.
The baseball quarter features a young batter at the plate, with a catcher behind. The golf design shows a young player completing a swing against a background inspired by the texture of a golf ball.
Meanwhile, the soccer quarter captures a player’s joyful celebration beside a large soccer ball. The softball design features a batter and catcher in action.
Finally, the snowboarding quarter depicts a rider in the air above a mountain landscape.
Together, the five designs bring movement, competition, and youthful enthusiasm to a denomination that dates to 1796.
Each quarter carries a different sports-themed reverse. However, all five share a new obverse portrait of George Washington.
The Mint created the Washington design specifically for the four-year program.
A New Kennedy Half Dollar Celebrates Paralympic Athletes
The program also gives the Kennedy half dollar a new mission.
Beginning in 2027, the Mint will introduce one half-dollar design annually to celebrate a Paralympic sport.
The first coin will honor wheelchair basketball. Later issues will feature para climbing, para ice hockey, and para snowboarding.
These coins will recognize sports for athletes with disabilities. The legislation specifically addresses physical, vision, and intellectual impairments.
For the first time in this program, the Mint will also introduce a new John F. Kennedy portrait on the half dollar’s obverse.
Kennedy first appeared on the denomination in 1964, following his assassination the previous year. The new portrait continues that tradition while giving the coin a fresh appearance.
Importantly, Congress requires the Treasury Secretary to consult U.S. Paralympics when selecting the sports for these half dollars.
Complete 2027–2030 Youth Sports Coin Schedule
The Mint has announced the entire four-year sports lineup.
- 2027 — Youth Sports Quarters: Baseball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, and Snowboarding.
- 2027 — Paralympic Half Dollar: Wheelchair Basketball.
- 2028 — Youth Sports Quarters: American Football, Swimming, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, and Track & Field.
- 2028 — Paralympic Half Dollar: Para Climbing.
- 2029 — Youth Sports Quarters: Basketball, Wrestling, Tennis, Cheerleading, and Karate.
- 2029 — Paralympic Half Dollar: Para Ice Hockey.
- 2030 — Youth Sports Quarters: Figure Skating, Skiing, Skateboarding, Volleyball, and Ice Hockey.
- 2030 — Paralympic Half Dollar: Para Snowboarding.
If the Mint completes the announced lineup, collectors will have 24 different sports-themed circulating coin designs to pursue across four years.
Americans Helped Choose the Sports
Public participation played an important role in developing the program.
On January 22, 2025, the Mint launched a nationwide survey inviting Americans to identify the youth sports they wanted to see on future quarters.
Before opening the survey, the Mint worked with the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Together, they developed a list of sports for public consideration.
Americans could review the options and submit their preferences through February 20, 2025.
This outreach gave families, athletes, coaches, and collectors an opportunity to help shape the program’s direction.
The Treasury Secretary ultimately selects the sports under the authority of the program’s legislation.
Even a Catcher’s Mask Matters When Designing a Coin
Behind the new coin designs lies an important part of the numismatic story.
Creating an attractive sports scene is only the beginning. Mint artists must capture movement and athletic technique within the limited space of a circulating coin.
During its February 24, 2026, meeting, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee reviewed candidate reverse designs for the first five quarters.
Committee members examined whether the artwork accurately represented the movements associated with each sport.
The proposed baseball design generated a particularly interesting recommendation. Members wanted the artist to adjust the catcher’s mask so it sat more naturally on the player’s face.
Meanwhile, the golf and snowboarding competitions each produced ties between two leading designs. In both cases, committee members broke the deadlock through six-to-five votes.
These details reveal how carefully the federal design-review process considers the appearance of America’s circulating coins.
A collector may study such details for years. Most Americans will encounter them during everyday transactions.
A Law Signed in 2021 Made the New Coins Possible
The Youth Sports Coin Collection traces its origins to the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, Public Law 116-330.
President Donald J. Trump signed the legislation on January 13, 2021.
The law established the framework for several major circulating coin programs. These included the American Women Quarters, special designs for the nation’s 250th anniversary, and the Youth Sports series.
For 2027 through 2030, the law authorizes up to five new youth sports quarter designs annually. It also calls for one Paralympic sports half dollar each year.
The legislation contains another interesting provision. It allows the Mint to produce companion medals celebrating the sports featured on the coins.
Additionally, Congress authorized the Mint to design and manufacture medals for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
These provisions grant authority; they do not establish that the Mint has announced specific companion medals or Olympic medal production plans.
Could the Youth Sports Quarters Inspire Another Generation of Collectors?
The 50 State Quarters Program demonstrated how ordinary circulating coins could capture the public’s imagination.
According to the Mint, an estimated 147 million Americans collected State quarters during the program’s remarkable run.
The Youth Sports Coin Collection offers a different kind of connection.
A young softball player might search for the coin celebrating her sport. A golfer might recognize the familiar follow-through on a quarter’s reverse. Meanwhile, a family supporting a wheelchair basketball athlete could find special meaning in the new half dollar.
The program also creates collecting opportunities for parents, grandparents, teachers, and coaches.
Many Americans begin collecting after discovering something unexpected in their pocket change. These coins could give young athletes another reason to examine the money they encounter.
For the United States Mint, the four-year program represents an opportunity to celebrate athletic participation while continuing a long numismatic tradition.
For collectors, it introduces a new series of designs and a reason to watch upcoming Mint releases.
And for a young athlete, the connection may be even more personal.
After all, there is something special about discovering that the sport you love has earned a place on the nation’s coinage.
