Susan B. Anthony Dollar Values & Mintages
The Susan B. Anthony dollar of 1979 was the first circulating US coin to show a real woman. Frank Gasparro's design kept the Apollo 11 eagle landing on the moon from the Eisenhower dollar, on a much smaller coin with an eleven-sided border.
- Years
- 1979–1999
- Issues listed
- 18
- Lowest mintage
- 3M
- Diameter
- 26.5 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip.
It was easily mistaken for a quarter and never caught on. Coins for circulation were struck in 1979 and 1980; the 1981 coins were made only for collector sets. A final run in 1999 filled demand before the Sacagawea dollar.
Designer: Frank Gasparro.
Key dates: lowest mintages
See all 18 →Famous varieties & errors
Every Susan B. Anthony Dollar by year and mint
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Composition by year
| Years | Metal | Weight | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–1999 | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel | 8.1 g | – |
Mint mark location
1979–1999: On the obverse, to the left of Anthony's portrait, just above her shoulder (P, D or S).
Grading tips
Check Anthony's cheekbone and the hair behind her ear, then the eagle's feathers. Most survivors are bright and lightly worn; uncirculated coins are common.
From Liberty to Anthony
By the late 1970s the large Eisenhower dollar was rarely used and the Treasury wanted a smaller dollar coin that would be cheaper to make and could replace some paper dollars. Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro first prepared a Liberty design with a cap on a pole and a flying eagle, but women's groups and members of Congress pressed for a real woman instead of an allegory. The law authorizing the coin was signed on October 10, 1978 and the Anthony dollar was released on July 2, 1979.
Susan B. Anthony, a leader of the campaign for women's suffrage, became the first real woman shown on a circulating US coin. Gasparro kept his eagle landing on the moon from the Eisenhower dollar for the reverse.
Mistaken for a quarter
The new dollar was only slightly larger than a quarter, had the same silvery color and a reeded edge. The eleven-sided border inside the rim was meant to help, but in practice people mixed up the two coins and cash registers had no compartment for a dollar coin. Many early coins were kept as souvenirs and the rest piled up in vaults.
The Mint cut production in 1980 and struck the 1981 coins only for collector mint sets. The design was not abandoned, though. Vending machines, transit systems and postal stamp machines slowly drew down the stockpile over the next two decades.
The 1999 encore
By 1999 the stockpile was nearly gone and the Sacagawea dollar was not due until 2000, so the Mint struck one more run of Anthony dollars at Philadelphia and Denver. It also sold the coins in two-coin uncirculated sets and as a boxed Philadelphia proof sold separately from the proof set. The golden Sacagawea dollar that followed kept the same size but used a plain edge and a different color so it would not be confused with a quarter.
What is worth checking
Most Anthony dollars are worth face value. The pieces that carry a premium are the 1979-P Wide Rim, also called the Near Date, the 1979-S and 1981-S Type 2 proofs with a clear S mint mark and the low-mintage 1981 mint set coins in top condition. A Wide Rim shows the date almost touching the rim. On the 1979-S a Type 2 S is crisp and open, while a Type 1 looks like a filled blob.
Frequently asked questions
What is the rarest Susan B. Anthony Dollar?
By mintage, the scarcest regular circulation issue is the 1981-P Susan B. Anthony Dollar with 3,000,000 struck, followed by the 1981-D Susan B. Anthony Dollar (3,250,000). Survival rates and condition also matter: some higher-mintage dates are scarce in top grades.
Are Susan B. Anthony Dollars silver?
1979–1999: Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel.
Where is the mint mark on a Susan B. Anthony Dollar?
1979–1999: On the obverse, to the left of Anthony's portrait, just above her shoulder (P, D or S).
How many Susan B. Anthony Dollars were made?
About 898,584,452 for circulation across 11 date and mint combinations, from 360,222,000 for the 1979-P Susan B. Anthony Dollar down to 3,000,000 for the 1981-P Susan B. Anthony Dollar.
Who designed the Susan B. Anthony Dollar?
Frank Gasparro.
Why were 1981 Anthony dollars not in circulation?
The Treasury already held more dollar coins than the public wanted, so the 1981 coins were struck only for the mint sets sold to collectors.
Why were Anthony dollars made again in 1999?
Demand from vending machines, transit systems and postal stamp machines had nearly used up the stockpile and the Sacagawea dollar was not ready until 2000.
Is the Susan B. Anthony dollar still legal tender?
Yes. It is still a legal one-dollar coin and can be spent or deposited at face value and banks still accept them.
Why does the coin have an eleven-sided border?
The border inside the rim was meant to help people tell the dollar from a quarter by sight and touch. The coin itself is round with a reeded edge.
Other dollar coins
Mintages from US Mint records as published in standard references, each checked against at least two independent sources. Specifications from US Mint records. All sources.