US Mint releases bell-shaped America 250 coin, priced north of $19,000

This isn't your average pocket change.

A collectible coin in the shape of the Liberty Bell priced at nearly $20,000 was released Thursday, July 16, by the U.S. Mint. Two cheaper versions, the half-ounce gold coin ($10,050) and the half-ounce silver medal ($750), were released as well.

The pieces are the first non-round coin released in recent U.S. history, according to the Mint. The coins were released in a limited quantity (2,026 of each variation) due to the "high level of detail and precision required to produce each coin," the Mint notes.

Less than an hour after their release at 12 p.m. ET, all three coins were listed as "currently unavailable" on the Mint website. USA TODAY has reached out to the Mint for more information.

List of Liberty Bell America 250 coins

Here are the three commemorative products made available July 16 by the Mint, all in the shape of the Liberty Bell:

• 1-ounce gold coin ($19,600)
• Half-ounce gold coin ($10,050)
• Half-ounce silver medal ($750)

A distinct design

The non-round coin is "uniquely-minted" for 2026, according to the U.S. Mint, as part of the nation's 250th anniversary celebration. The semiquincentennial edition features the Liberty Bell on one side with the words "Liberty," and Independence Hall on the reverse side, bearing the words "In God we trust." It also features the years 1776 to 2026 to mark the nation's special birthday.

The composition of the 1-ounce gold coin is 99.99% gold and is 0.167 inches thick with smooth edges, according to the Mint's posting.

"Years of planning and innovation have culminated in this unique coin," the Mint website reads.

The unique coin has been in the works for over two years. The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, which advises the Secretary of the Treasury on coin and bullion production and design, approved the Liberty Bell-shaped coin design on Nov. 19, 2024. The CCAC recommended the coin to then-Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen later that month.

Liberty Bell coins are 'speculative asset'

These coins are part of three limited batches: Only 2,026 of each variation were produced. The U.S. Mint website says the scarcity of the special coin is due in part to the process of making such a distinctive design.

"Owing to the high level of detail and precision required to produce each coin, the Freedom Ringing – Liberty Bell Gold Coins were uniquely minted for 2026 in limited quantities," the U.S. Mint says on its posting of the coin.

It's an "speculative asset," says David Freund, professor of history at the University of Maryland. With the 1-ounce gold coin's high price tag of $19,600, "[no one] who purchases it is going to use it for spending," he says.

Given that the value of the coin won't be tied to an actual dollar value, it could be hard to predict how much it will be worth in the future.

"There's just no way to predict the future sales price of collectors' items," Freund says. "The value of these coins won't have any fixed relationship to the value of dollars issued into circulation by the U.S. government."

This story was updated to include new information.