In 1971, the United States Mint resumed striking $ 1 coins for the foremost time since 1935, when the last peace dollars were made. The fresh coin, the Eisenhower Dollar, or Ike Dollar, was a tribute to the celebrated World War II general and former President General Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose break appears on the obverse, adenine well as the 1969 Apollo 11 landing on the moon, which is celebrated on the reverse .
Eisenhower dollars were issued in both clad and 40 % silver versions for collectors through 1978. The purpose of both sides of this large mint, the largest dress while always made by the U.S. Mint issued in the lapp size as the celebrated Morgan and Peace dollars, was the ferment of then U.S. Mint Chief Engraver, Frank Gasparro. Gasparro besides excellently designed the turn back of the Kennedy half dollar and the Lincoln penny change by reversal used from 1959 to 2008 .
Eisenhower Dollar Design
For the obverse, Gasparro ‘s starting point was a sketch he had made of Ike during the parade following the allied victory in 1945, while the rearward was based on the Apollo 11 mission patch designed by one of its astronauts, Michael Collins. The turn back blueprint was besides issued for the Robbins medals for Apollo 11 that were restruck in 2019 as commemorative medals.
Eisenhower silver dollars were initially popular with the public. however, the flatware dollars never circulated to much extent because they were besides large and bulky for commerce. They did prove to be a big strike at casinos, where over 70 % of the clothe coins were used. The beginning 40 % silver coins were struck in March 1971 and would be issued in uncirculated condition sold in blue envelopes, and proof condition sold in brown boxes, for the duration of the series .
In 1975, art scholar Dennis Williams redesigned the invert to mark the nation ‘s bicentennial with dual-dated coins ( 1975-1976 ) that were very popular with the public and collectors. After that, concern in the serial softened in part as interest shifted to the modern commemorative mint broadcast that began in 1982, and then Silver and Gold American Eagles in 1986. In the 1990s, there was a revival of demand for the coins and concern in the Eisenhower dollar series. That revival was driven by an interest in higher-grade examples and die varieties among groups of collectors and experts who specialized in the series, such as the Ike Group .
As the mint marks its fiftieth anniversary this year, the Eisenhower Silver Dollar remains a popular series with collectors of modern U.S. coins who like large, hefty coins .
The Eisenhower Dollar Series: A Brief History
In the former 1960s, there was interest within the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Mint ( particularly from Mint Director Mary Brooks in 1969 ) to reissue dollar coins, but the resurrect price of silver bullion already threatened the retain issue of 40 % Kennedy half dollars, let alone the distribution of another silver medal coin. Following President Eisenhower ‘s March 28, 1969 death, versatile bills were proposed in Congress – some to issue coins in his honor made of clad and others that called for new silver dollars .
then on October 29, Rep. Robert Casey introduced a poster that said the new coins should honor both Ike and that class ‘s moon land. A compromise was struck under which 150 million coins would be issued in 40 % flatware alloy for collectors, while a larger number would be struck in clad for circulation .
From the time the first 1971 Eisenhower dollars were struck, problems were encountered from the stress the big clad coins put on the dies, which resulted in many low-quality examples being released into circulation. This output quality flat besides led some collectors to acquire rolls of the coins from banks to search for higher-quality specimens .
production issues besides necessitated a reduction in the plan ‘s relief, and tone of the design, such as giving the earth that appears on the inverse better definition .
These changes besides resulted in the numerous and complex die varieties of Eisenhower dollars, specially for the 1972 Eisenhower dollars, whose type 2 variety is the serial key made in error by using dies intended for validation coins. only 2,504 of those coins exist .
After about 300 million coins were made in 1971 and 1972, no circulation coins were needed in 1973, but 1973 and 1973-D coins were made for inclusion in mint sets. production of circulation coins resumed in 1974. Over 200 million bicentennial dollars dated 1975-1976 were released in 1976, followed by the final two years of production at much lower levels than in prior years .
Towards the end of the series, the government concluded that since the large coins did not circulate much, they needed to issue a newly dollar coin with a smaller diameter, which led finally to the Susan B. Anthony dollar ‘s debut in 1979.
Read more: Events Timeline
Eisenhower Dollar Highlights
- The Eisenhower Dollar was issued by the United States Mint from 1971 to 1978.
- 40% Eisenhower Silver Dollars contain 40% silver, while clad Eisenhower Dollars contain no silver.
- The Eisenhower Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints.
- Special Bicentennial Eisenhower Dollars were issued in 1976 to celebrate 200 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
How much does an Eisenhower Dollar weigh?
Although these coins have the same diameter as classic flatware dollars of 38.1 millimeters, they weigh a short less than their traditional counterparts. The 40 % Eisenhower Silver dollars weigh 24.592 grams, consisting of out layers of .800 argent and .200 copper that are bonded to an inner core of .209 eloquent and .791 bull .
The Clad Eisenhower Dollar coins weigh 22.68 grams, which is made of outer layers of .750 copper and .250 nickel bonded to an inside kernel of pure copper .
How much silver is in an Eisenhower Dollar?
The 40 percentage argent versions of the Eisenhower Dollar has a web silver system of weights of .3161 oz of arrant silver .
Clad Eisenhower dollars do not contain silver and are notably the only large U.S. dollars whose business strikes do not contain any silver medal. such Eisenhower dolalrs contain a .750 copper and .250 nickel debase .
How Can I tell if my Eisenhower Dollar is silver?
Eisenhower Silver dollars that contain 40 % silver were struck at the San Francisco Mint from 1971 to 1975 as particular collector ’ randomness pieces in both proofread and uncirculated finishes. A few 1974-D and 1977-D Eisenhower Dollars were struck in silver clothe composing, but those remain few and far in between. Proof Eisenhower Silver dollars were packaged in an iconic brown box, while uncirculated issues were packaged in blue blue envelopes. To tell if your Eisenhower dollar is silver, you can look for the San Francisco Mint ’ s “ S ” mint set on the obverse of the coin, it will be above the 7 in the coin ’ mho date. You can besides check the weight of the coins ; a Silver Eisenhower dollar will weigh 24.59 grams, while a clothe Eisenhower dollar will weigh 22.68 grams .
Where is the mint mark on an Eisenhower Silver Dollar?
Eisenhower dollars were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. Issues from the Denver and San Francisco branches will carry their “ D ” and “ S ” mint marks respectively, while issues from the Philadelphia branch do not carry a mint grade. To find the mint check on an Eisenhower dollar look at the obverse design, the mint mark if applicable, will be above the “ 7 ” in the date .
Sources :
Q. David Bowers, A Guide Book of Modern United States Dollar Coins ( Whitman, 2016 )
R.S. Yeoman et al., A Guide Book of United States Coins 2021 ( Whitman, 2020 )
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