Susan B. Anthony Dollar 1979 1999 Values & Prices By Issue | The Greysheet

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DetailsI remember back in 1979 when the United States
government decided to try something new. President Jimmy Carter
signed a bill authorizing the US Mint to produce the nation’s first
small-size dollar coin. This was a big deal because it was the
first US coin to feature a real-life woman. That woman was Susan B.
Anthony, who did so much for women’s rights during the 19th and
20th centuries. It was a fitting tribute to her and the era of
equal rights.

I was so excited when the Susan B. Anthony
dollar was issued in July 1979. It was silvery and measured 26.5
millimeters in diameter, so it was easy to mistake for a quarter.
This caused a lot of confusion and people were losing 75 cents or
more in transactions. The dollar bill was also in circulation at
the same time, so people weren’t willing to switch over to the
smaller coin. Unfortunately, the Anthony dollar was a major
flop.

I’m one of those Susan B. Anthony dollar coins
that were minted in the early 1980s, and then again in 1999. Back
in 1980 and 1981, the U.S. government minted fewer of us, and
basically only offered us in uncirculated and proof sets. But then,
by the late 1990s, people started using dollar coins in vending
machines and public transportation, so they needed more of us.
That’s why they started minting us again in 1999.

I’m no stranger to rare coins and I’m here to
tell you that the Susan B. Anthony dollar was a brief series.
Despite its short lifespan, there were a few scarce issues and
varieties, including the 1979-P Near Date (Wide Rim) variety, the
1979-S Type II proof, and the 1981-S Type II proof. The type II
proofs are probably the most sought after of the series due to
their rarity. If you’re a collector looking for coins that will
make your collection stand out, these are definitely worth looking
into.