New Coin Commemorating 9/11 Anniversary Being Released by US Mint—Photo - Newsweek
The U.S. Mint has unveiled a special half dollar commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, featuring the date "9-11-01" encircled by the words "NEVER FORGET."
The Treasury Department announced the special-issue 2026 Semiquincentennial Enduring Liberty Half Dollar on Thursday, one day before the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
"A quarter century later, our promise to the victims and their families remains the same: we will never forget," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
The special half dollars commemorate those who lost their lives in both the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the February 26, 1993, World Trade Center bombing, according to the U.S. Mint.
The release comes as new polling shows that a majority of Americans believe younger generations do not understand the attacks well.
A YouGov survey conducted August 20 to 23 found that 54 percent of U.S. adult citizens said Americans born after 2001 generally do not have a good understanding of the September 11 attacks.
U.S. Mint Director Paul Hollis highlighted younger generations in announcing the special coins.
"Offering these special coins to a greater number of Americans affords more of us a tangible reminder of how the Nation came together on that fateful day, and provides us opportunity to educate younger generations, many of whom were not even born, about the sacrifices made," Hollis said.
The front of the half dollar features a close-up view of the Statue of Liberty looking outward, along with the inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "1776 ~ 2026."
The reverse depicts Liberty passing her torch to a new generation and bears the inscription "KNOWLEDGE IS THE ONLY GUARDIAN OF TRUE LIBERTY."
The "9-11-01" privy mark surrounded by "NEVER FORGET" appears on the coin to commemorate the anniversary.
The circulating-quality coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint and are available in 20-coin rolls for $40 and 100-coin bags for $100.
Preorders opened Thursday and will run through September 25 at 3 p.m. ET, with shipping expected to begin December 3.
The half dollar is part of the U.S. Mint's 2026 Semiquincentennial program marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
"As we approach the 25th anniversary of September 11, we honor the memory of those we lost and the courage of those who risked their lives to save their fellow Americans," Bessent said.
He added that the special half dollars "embody the honor and bravery of the victims, survivors, and first responders of those fateful terrorist attacks."
The Mint has previously issued items commemorating the attacks. For the 10th anniversary in 2011, it released a one-ounce silver September 11 National Medal featuring Lady Liberty holding a "Lamp of Remembrance" and the inscription "ALWAYS REMEMBER."
Nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001, after hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, while another crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The YouGov survey found that the day remains vivid for many Americans. Three-quarters said they remember where they were when they first heard about the attacks, with most of those respondents saying they recall the moment very clearly.
That memory, however, differs sharply by generation. Just 15 percent of adults under 30 said they remember hearing about the attacks at the time, compared with 90 percent of those ages 30 and older.
The question of how younger generations understand 9/11 has taken on greater significance as the attacks move further into history. The Associated Press reported this week that at least 40 states have policies that expect, suggest or encourage public schools to address or observe 9/11 in some way.
Megan Jones, education chief at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, told the AP that students increasingly need to learn basic facts about the attacks.
The key, Jones said, is "helping them to understand how 9/11 ultimately shaped the world that they live in."
Beyond how the attacks are remembered, nearly two-thirds of Americans said 9/11 changed the United States completely.
The poll also pointed to continued support for formally commemorating the attacks, with 51 percent saying September 11 should be a national holiday honoring those who died.
When asked more broadly about how the country remembers 9/11, nearly half said Americans devote about the right amount of attention to it, while about a quarter said too little attention is paid.
YouGov surveyed 1,098 U.S. adult citizens from August 20 to 23. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Anna Commander and Gray R. Thomas
