Dollar · 1979–1999

Susan B. Anthony Dollar

A right-facing portrait of suffragist Susan B. Anthony inside an eleven-sided inner border. The Apollo 11 eagle landing on the Moon, carried over from the Eisenhower dollar.

Designer

Frank Gasparro

Diameter

26.5 mm

Edge

Reeded

Mint mark

Obverse (front), lower left near Anthony's shoulder

Composition

1979–1999: Copper-nickel clad · 8.1 g

Did you know? Susan B. Anthony was the first real woman on a circulating U.S. coin — but the coin flopped because people kept mistaking it for a quarter.

Beginner tip: Check any 1979-P against the rim: if the rim is wide and the date nearly touches it, you have the scarcer 'Near Date' variety.

Key dates to look for

1981-P SBA Dollar

$5 – $15

Sold only in Mint sets — no 1981 SBAs entered circulation

1981-D SBA Dollar

$5 – $15

Mint sets only

1981-S SBA Dollar

$5 – $15

Mint sets and proof sets only

1999-P SBA Dollar

$20+ for the proof

Surprise revival year; the proof version was sold separately and is popular

Valuable varieties & errors

1979-P Wide Rim / Near Date

scarce

$15 – $300+

Partway through 1979, Philadelphia widened the coin's rim to improve stacking, which pushed the date visibly closer to the edge. The Wide Rim (Near Date) version is much scarcer than the common Narrow Rim.

How to check: Look at the gap between the date and the rim on the front. On the common version there's a clear space; on the Wide Rim the date sits almost touching the fat rim. Only 1979 Philadelphia coins come both ways.

1979-S Proof Type 2 (Clear S)

scarce

$50 – $150

The S mint mark punch used on early 1979 proofs was worn and blob-like. It was replaced mid-year with a crisp new punch, and proofs with the clear S are the scarcer Type 2.

How to check: Only check mirror-finish proof coins. Under a loupe, a Type 1 S looks like a filled-in blob; a Type 2 S shows clear open loops top and bottom. If you can read it as an obvious letter S at a glance, it's likely Type 2.

1981-S Proof Type 2 (Clear S)

rare

$150 – $400

The mint mark punch was replaced again late in 1981, giving some proofs a flat-topped, clearly defined S instead of the rounded early version. The Type 2 is the key proof variety of the series.

How to check: Only check 1981-S proof coins. The common Type 1 S has rounded, bulbous ends; the Type 2 S has a flat top surface and crisp, open loops. Side-by-side reference photos are the easiest way to confirm.

Error types found on this series

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Broadstrike

The coin was struck without its retaining collar, so it spread out wider and thinner than normal.

Clipped Planchet

A bite-shaped piece of the coin is missing because the blank was punched from an already-punched part of the metal strip.

Wrong Planchet

A coin struck on a blank intended for a different denomination or country — like a quarter design on a nickel blank.

Machine Doubling

The die bounced or chattered at the moment of striking, smearing a flat shelf-like second edge onto the design.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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