Collector guide about the 1979 Susan B Anthony silver dollar. Know about its reverse that highlights the Apollo 11 mission. Learn why the Anthony coins were pulled out from circulation in 1981. How do you tell if you have a rare Susan B. Anthony coin?
Among the other modern American coins, the Susan B. Anthony coin stands out because of its unusual hendecagonal shape.
But in fact most of 1979 silver dollar coin has a regular round shape except for the 11-sided polygon that gilds the coin’s rim making it visually deceiving.
The “Susie B” or the “Sussies” were pulled out from the US circulation in 1981.
Who was Susan B. Anthony?
Christened as Susan Brownell Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906), she became an influential civil rights leader and feminist who pushed for the women’s suffrage rights in the United States. For over four decades, she traveled around USA and Europe to give speeches on women’s rights.
Even if Susan B. Anthony died long before the 19th Amendment giving American suffrage rights, the US Mint honored her with a legal tender coin to keep the legacy of her social activism alive.
The design of the 1979 dollar coin
The Susan B. Anthony dollar was officially launched in July 2, 1979, in Rochester, New York. The copper-nickel dollar coin had the same size, color, and reeded edging as the US quarter.
Angular segments frame the rim of the Susan B. Anthony coin. Thus, it made the round dollar coin look like it had 11 sides.
The prim portrait of the feminist advocate, designed by Frank Gasparro, was struck on the obverse. The designer’s FG initials were imprinted below the left shoulder of Susan B. Anthony.
The reverse showed an American eagle landing on the surface of the moon. The reverse design was struck in honor of the successful space mission of Apollo 11 that carried the first men on the moon.
Why did the US Mint stop producing Susan B. Anthony dollars?
Aside from its unique hendecagonal rim, the Susan B. Anthony dollar was confusingly similar to the quarter dollars. The production of the new dollar coin was part of the cost-cutting advocacy of the US Mint to replace the dollar bill in the circulation.
However, most vending machines in big cities were not yet upgraded to take in the new Susan B. Anthony dollar coins even after its launching. Even if the US Mint did an extensive promotional campaign, the Susan B. Anthony dollar remained unpopular to the public.
The lack for public demand eventually led to the cessation of the production and circulation of the Sussies in 1981. In the year 2000, the new Sacagawea dollar coins replaced them.
Collecting Susan B. Anthony coins
Susan B. Anthony dollar coin Collecting may not be exceedingly difficult due to its large mintages over a span of short production year.
They were minted in Philadelphia, Denver, and in San Francisco. Thus, the Susie B coins had “P”, “D”, and “S” mintmarks. The restrikes in 1999 only had “P” or “D” mintmarks. The Anthony dollar series were the:
1979 P Narrow Rim
1979 P Narrow Rim
1979 D
1979 S
1980 P
1980 D
1980 S
1981 P
1981 D
1981 S
1981 P
1981 D
1981 S
1999 D
The Susan B. Anthony proof coin sets that were released by the US Mint had six coins in the proof series. They were the:
1979 S Type I- proof
1979 S Type II-proof
1980 S -proof
1981 S Type I -proof
1981 S Type II -proof
1999 P -proof
Are Susan B Anthony dollars worth anything?
How much are my Anthony dollars worth? Usually, the Susan B. Anthony dollar coins have a value equal to their face value when you purchase them at coin shops or from coin dealers. However, there are some varieties that cost more.
To start, the most expensive varieties are the 1979 and 1981 proof sets. Proof coins are generally more costly than their circulated counterparts because of the high quality finish of the former. The market price as of August 2009 starts at $100.
The “Near Date” or the “Wide Border” varieties had the mint year struck closer to border of the coin. This type of Susan B. Anthony dollar coin is usually sold in auctions starting at $10 each.
