1971-D Eisenhower Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 68,587,424 made
- Mintage
- 68,587,424
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 22.68 g
- Diameter
- 38.1 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1971-D Eisenhower Dollar worth?
A worn 1971-D is a spender: face value. A bright uncirculated one, or one with a known error, is worth setting aside.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1971-D Eisenhower Dollar rare?
- No. 69 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1971-D Eisenhower Dollar silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Circulating silver dollars ended with the 1935 Peace dollar. Some Eisenhower dollars with an S mint mark were made in 40% silver for collectors, but circulation Ike dollars are copper-nickel clad.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1971 Eisenhower Dollar?
- On the obverse, below Eisenhower's portrait and above the date. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1971 are scarcer?
- The 1973-D at 2,000,000, the 1976-D (Bicentennial, Type I) at 21,048,710, the 1974-D at 45,517,000. So the 1971-D is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1971-D Eisenhower Dollar coins were made?
- 68,587,424.
What to check on your 1971-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1971 (48 million made).
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1971-S Silver Eisenhower Dollar Proof (4,265,234 made) is the one to compare with.
- A face that's fully copper colored could be a missing clad layer error. Patchy discoloration is usually damage.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at Eisenhower's cheek and the hair above his ear and at the eagle's head and breast. These heavy coins picked up bag marks easily, so clean, mark-free surfaces matter as much as wear.
With 69 million made, the 1971-D still turns up in everyday change. Keep yours only if it looks uncirculated or shows a variety; otherwise it's worth face value.
The story of the 1971-D
1971 was the first year of the Eisenhower Dollar. Denver struck 68,587,424 of them. The next year it made 93 million (1972-D).
1971 came to 48 million, so neither mint's 1971 coin is much scarcer than the other.
Denver struck the Eisenhower Dollar in 8 issues between 1971 and 1978. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1973-D (2,000,000). Within the 1970s it's 12th smallest of 16, between the 1971 (48 million) and the 1972 (76 million).
More on the 1971-D
Denver struck 68,587,424 Eisenhower dollars in 1971, about 20.8 million more than Philadelphia. The new coin was as large as the old silver dollars, so Denver's presses carried most of the first year's load. Its D mint mark sits just above the date, below the portrait. Look at the edge too: the copper core shows as a stripe, which confirms it's the clad coin rather than the 40% silver version sold to collectors.
Denver's 1971 coins are generally better made than the Philadelphia issue, which is one reason the D is the more practical first-year coin to find in a high uncirculated grade. Specialists also recognize a 1971-D reverse with subtly reworked eagle details, nicknamed the Friendly Eagle; confirming it needs magnification and a good reference photo. A worn 1971-D is a face value coin. A sharp, lightly marked one, or a confirmed variety, is what earns a premium, so it's worth examining any bright example before spending it.
Apollo 11 eagles and silver for collectors (1971 to 1974)
The Eisenhower dollar arrived in 1971, two years after both the former president's death and the first Moon landing, so its reverse borrowed the Apollo 11 insignia. Philadelphia and Denver struck copper-nickel clad coins for circulation while San Francisco made 40% silver versions for collectors, sold in blue packs as uncirculated coins and brown boxes as proofs.
The 1973 Philadelphia and Denver coins were made only for mint sets, never for general circulation, which is why they have the lowest mintages of the regular clad issues. Specialists also sort the 1972 Philadelphia coins into three reverse types by the shape of the Earth and its islands. Most clad Ikes saw little real use, so many survive with heavy bag marks rather than wear.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1971
The Eisenhower dollar was introduced and the Kennedy half dollar changed to copper-nickel clad.
How to recognize it
Frank Gasparro's obverse shows Dwight D. Eisenhower facing left with LIBERTY above, IN GOD WE TRUST below his chin and the date at the bottom. The reverse is adapted from the Apollo 11 mission insignia: an eagle landing on the Moon with an olive branch in its talons, with the Earth above. Coins dated 1776-1976 replace it with Dennis Williams' Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon. The mint mark is below the portrait, above the date.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Eisenhower Dollar (1971–1978) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 68,587,424 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 22.68 grams |
| Diameter | 38.1 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Frank Gasparro |
Other 1971 Eisenhower Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 Eisenhower Dollar | 47,799,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-D Eisenhower Dollar | 68,587,424 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1971-S Silver Eisenhower Dollar Uncirculated | 6,868,530 | Collector uncirculated | 0.3162 oz |
| 1971-S Silver Eisenhower Dollar Proof | 4,265,234 | Proof | 0.3162 oz |
Mintage: Eisenhower dollar (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.