In 1969 the United States beat the Russians to the moon with Neil Armstrong and "Buzz" Aldrin being the first humans to leave their footprints there. The United States wanted to honor this accomplishment on a coin. Unfortunately, the cent, nickel, dime, quarter and half dollar, for one reason or another, were off-limits for a redesign. Therefore, the United States Treasury Department decided to revive the dollar coin that had not been minted since 1935.
The new one-dollar coin would be the same diameter and approximately the same thickness as previous minted silver dollars, but the composition would be a copper-nickel clad base metal composition that is dictated by the Coinage Act of July 23, 1965. Mint engraver Frank Gasparro represented this historic event on the reverse by adapting the Apollo XI insignia from NASA. It was President Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower who authorized the creation of NASA in 1958. Because of his involvement with NASA, the Treasury Department chose Eisenhower for the obverse of the coin.
The United States Mint saw an opportunity to market these new coins to collectors. In addition to producing regular business strike coins for circulation, the mint seized on the opportunity to also produce various special strikes and compositions for collectors. From 1971 through 1976, the mint produced special 40% silver composition Proof coins for collectors. These Proof coins were housed in hard plastic holders and placed in special brown boxes and are commonly referred to as "Brown Ikes." The mint also produced special uncirculated strikes in the 40% silver composition. They were distributed in blue envelopes with the coin being held in a soft plastic package. These are known as "Blue Ikes".
In 1973, the Treasury Department began a contest to select the design to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War on the quarter, half dollar and one-dollar coins. The Treasury Department chose Dennis R. Williams' reverse design on March 6, 1974, that superimposes the Liberty Bell on top of the moon for the reverse of the dollar coin. The United States Mint did not make any dollar coins dated 1975 since the production of the dual-dated (1776-1976) bicentennial coinage began in 1975 to meet the public's demand for these new circulating commemorative coins.
Coin Values and Prices
At one time, coin collectors frowned upon collecting Eisenhower dollars. The coins never circulated well with the public, the design was drab, and the coins never struck up well. Beginning in the mid-to-late 2000's, the popularity of collecting the last of the big United States dollars began to catch on. Coin experts began to find varieties, and the values for Eisenhower dollars began to rise.
Detailed Specifications
Issuing Government | United States of America |
Denomination | $1.00 (One dollar) |
Coinage Type | Eisenhower One Dollar (a.k.a. Ike Dollar) |
Mintage Dates | 1971 to 1978 |
Production Facilities | Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco |
Mint Mark Location | Above the '7' in the date on the obverse. |
Composition | Clad: Outside: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel; Core: 100% Copper
Silver: Outer layers: 80% silver and 20% copper; Core: 20.9% silver and 79.1% copper (total: 40% silver) |
Weight | Clad: 22.680 grams Silver: 24.592 grams |
Weight Tolerance (+/-) | Clad: 0.907 grams Silver: 0.984 grams |
Actual Gold Weight () | 0.0000 Troy Ounces (does not contain any gold) |
Actual Silver Weight (ASW) | Clad: 0.0000 Troy Ounces (does not contain any silver) Silver: 0.3162 Troy Ounces |
Actual Platinum Weight () | 0.0000 Troy Ounces (does not contain any platinum) |
Specific Gravity | Clad: 8.920 Silver: 9.530 |
Diameter | 38.10 mm |
Thickness | 2.58 mm |
Edge Type | Reeded |
Regular Obverse and Reverse (1971-1974 and 1977-1978) | |
Obverse Description | President Dwight Eisenhower facing left, with LIBERTY above and IN GOD WE TRUST to the lower left and the date at the bottom. |
Obverse Designer | Frank Gasparro |
Reverse Description | Eagle holding an olive branch, landing on the moon, with the earth in the background with 13 stars in the field. The inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM above. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONE DOLLAR at the border. |
Reverse Designer | Frank Gasparro |
(Krause-Mishler Catalog No.) | Clad: 203 Silver: 203a |
Bicentennial Obverse and Reverse (1976) | |
Obverse Description | President Dwight Eisenhower facing left, with LIBERTY above and IN GOD WE TRUST to the lower left and the dual date 1776-1976 at the bottom. |
Obverse Designer | Frank Gasparro |
Reverse Description | Liberty Bell superimposed in front of the moon. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM appears to the lower right. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR separated by two stars surrounds. |
Reverse Designer | Dennis R. Williams |
KM# (Krause-Mishler Catalog No.) | Clad: 206 Silver: 206a |
Notes | No coins dated 1975 were minted. Minting of the Bicentennial coins began in 1975 and continued throughout 1976. They have the dual date of "1776-1976". |
Production Years, Mints and Types
The United States Mint Produced the Eisenhower dollar from 1971 until 1978 when the Treasury Department replaced it with the Susan B. Anthony dollar. You can learn about years, strike type, the mint facility where struck, the mint mark used on the coin and a description of any type differences in coins minted for that year.
Year | Mint | Mint Mark | Type |
1971 | Philadelphia | Clad | |
1971 | Denver | D | Clad |
1971 | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1971 Proof | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1972 | Philadelphia | Clad Type I (Low Relief) |
|
1972 | Philadelphia | Clad Type II (High Relief) |
|
1972 | Philadelphia | Clad Type III (Modified High Relief) |
|
1972 | Denver | D | Clad |
1972 | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1972 Proof | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1973 | Philadelphia | Clad | |
1973 | Denver | D | Clad |
1973 | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1973 Proof | San Francisco | S | Clad |
1973 Proof | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1974 | Philadelphia | Clad | |
1974 | Denver | D | Clad |
1974 | San Francisco | S | Silver |
1974 Proof | San Francisco | S | Clad |
1974 Proof | San Francisco | S | Silver |
Year | Mint | Mint Mark | Type |
1976 | Philadelphia | Bicentennial; Clad Type 1 (Thick letters reverse) |
|
1976 | Philadelphia | Bicentennial; Clad Type 2 (Thin letters reverse) |
|
1976 | Denver | D | Bicentennial; Clad Type 1 (Thick letters reverse) |
1976 | Denver | D | Bicentennial; Clad Type 2 (Thin letters reverse) |
1976 | San Francisco | S | Bicentennial; Silver |
1976 Proof | San Francisco | S | Bicentennial; Clad Type 1 (Thick letters reverse) |
1976 Proof | San Francisco | S | Bicentennial; Clad Type 2 (Thin letters reverse) |
1976 Proof | San Francisco | S | Bicentennial; Silver |
1977 | Philadelphia | Clad | |
1977 | Denver | D | Clad |
1977 Proof | San Francisco | S | Clad |
1978 | Philadelphia | Clad | |
1978 | Denver | D | Clad |
1978 Proof | San Francisco | S | Clad |
Errors and Varieties
The following are popular errors and varieties that Eisenhower Dollar collectors look for. These coins usually carry a premium and are valued above a common coin.
Year | Mint | Mint Mark | Error/Variety | Notes/Description |
1971 Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | Partial Peg Leg "R" | Part of the serif on the "R" in Liberty is missing.
See Eisenhower Dollars Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties for more information. |
1971 Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | Peg Leg "R" | Missing the serif on the "R" in Liberty.
See Eisenhower Dollars Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties for more information. |
1972 | Philadelphia | Three different type of reverse dies were used | Look at the Earth on the reverse to distinguish between the three type.
See Eisenhower Dollars Key Dates, Rarities and Varieties for more information. |
Mintage Figures
The United States Mint struck Eisenhower dollars (Ike dollars) over the span of eight years using a variety of different compositions and strike types.
Year | Mint | Mint Mark | Mintage | Notes |
1971 Clad | Philadelphia | 47,799,000 | ||
1971 Clad | Denver | D | 68,587,424 | |
1971 Silver | San Francisco | S | 6,868,530 | 40% silver |
1971 Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | 4,265,234 | 40% silver |
1972 Clad | Philadelphia | 75,890,000 | ||
1972 Clad | Denver | D | 92,548,511 | |
1972 Silver | San Francisco | S | 2,193,056 | 40% silver |
1972 Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | 1,811,631 | 40% silver |
1973 Clad | Philadelphia | 1,769,258 | ||
1973 Clad | Denver | D | 1,769,258 | |
1973 Clad Proof | San Francisco | S | 2,760,339 | |
1973 Silver | San Francisco | S | 1,883,140 | 40% silver |
1973 Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | 1,013,646 | 40% silver |
1974 Clad | Philadelphia | 27,366,000 | ||
1974 Clad | Denver | D | 45,517,000 | |
1974 Clad Proof | San Francisco | S | 2,612,568 | |
1974 Silver | San Francisco | S | 1,900,156 | 40% silver |
1974 Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | 1,306,579 | 40% silver |
Year | Mint | Mint Mark | Mintage | Notes |
1976 Bicentennial; Clad | Philadelphia | 113,318,000 | ||
1976 Bicentennial; Clad | Philadelphia | 4,019,000 | ||
1976 Bicentennial; Clad | Denver | D | 82,179,564 | |
1976 Bicentennial; Clad | Denver | D | 21,048,710 | |
1976 Bicentennial; Silver | San Francisco | S | 4,908,319 | 40% silver |
1976 Bicentennial; Clad Proof | San Francisco | S | 4,149,730 | |
1976 Bicentennial; Silver Proof | San Francisco | S | 3,998,621 | 40% silver |
1976 Bicentennial; Clad Proof | San Francisco | S | 2,845,450 | |
1977 Clad | Philadelphia | 12,596,000 | ||
1977 Clad | Denver | D | 32,983,006 | |
1977 Clad Proof | San Francisco | S | 3,251,152 | |
1978 Clad | Philadelphia | 25,702,000 | ||
1978 Clad | Denver | D | 33,102,890 | |
1978 Clad Proof | San Francisco | S | 3,127,781 |
Suggested Books on Eisenhower Dollars
- Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins; Walter Breen; Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (May 1, 1988); ISBN-10: 0385142072; ISBN-13: 978-0385142076
- The Cherrypickers' Guide to Rare Die Varieties, 5th Edition, Volume II; Fivaz, Bill and J.T. Stanton; Publisher: Whitman Publishing, Atlanta (2011); ISBN-10: 0794832393; ISBN-13: 978-0794832391
- The Authoritative Reference on Eisenhower Dollars, 2nd Edition [Paperback] by John Wexler; Publisher: Kyle Vick; 2nd edition (2007); {212 pages, 8 1/2 x 11, 1,000+ photos}; ISBN-10: 0967965594 ; ISBN-13: 978-0967965598
- Little Book of Collectible Eisenhower Dollars [Paperback] by Bill Sanders; Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 24, 2011); ISBN-10: 1463626959; ISBN-13: 978-1463626952
- Collectible Ike Varieties - Facts, Photos and Theories; Publisher: Lulu (November 28, 2011; ISBN-10: 1257973347; ISBN-13: 978-1257973347; ASIN: B00588AK4U