Eisenhower dollar

The Eisenhower dollar is a one-dollar coin issued by the United States

Eisenhower dollar
Mint from 1971 to 1978; it was the first coin of that denomination issued
by the Mint since the Peace dollar series ended in 1935. The coin depicts United States
President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the obverse, with both sides designed Value 1 U.S. dollar
by Frank Gasparro. Mass Copper/nickel-clad:
In 1965, the Mint had begun to strike copper-nickel clad coins instead of ~22.68 g (350 gr)
silver, due to rises in bullion prices. No dollar coins had been issued in
Silver clad:
thirty years, and none, initially, were minted in the new metal. Beginning
~24.624 g (380 gr)
in 1969, legislators sought to reintroduce a dollar coin into commerce.
After Eisenhower died in March of that year, there were a number of Diameter 38.1 mm (1.5 in)
proposals to honor him with the new coin. While these bills generally Thickness 2.58 mm (0.1 in)
commanded wide support, enactment was delayed by a dispute over Edge reeded
whether the new coin should be in base metal or 40% silver. In 1970, a
Composition Circulation strikes: outer
compromise was reached to strike the Eisenhower dollar in base metal for
layers of 75.0% copper
circulation, and in 40% silver as a collectible. President Richard Nixon,
25.0% nickel clad with a
who had served as vice president under Eisenhower, signed legislation
core of 100% copper (in
authorizing the new coin on December 31, 1970.
all 91.67% copper, 8.33%
Although the collector's pieces sold well, the new dollars failed to circulate nickel).
to any degree, except in and around Nevada casinos, where they took the For silver clad: Outer
place of privately issued tokens. There are no dollars dated 1975; coins layers of 80% silver with
from that year and from 1976 bear a double date 17761976, and a special a center of 20.9% silver.
reverse by Dennis R. Williams in honor of the bicentennial of American Aggregate 60% copper,
independence. Beginning in 1977, the Mint sought to replace the 40% silver
Eisenhower dollar with a smaller-sized piece. Congress authorized the Silver None in circulation
Susan B. Anthony dollar, struck beginning in 1979, but that piece also strikes. For silver-clad
failed to circulate. Due to their modest cost and the short length of the pieces 0.3162 troy oz
series, sets of Eisenhower dollars are becoming more popular among Years of minting 19711978. Coins struck
collectors. in 1975 and 1976 bear
double date "17761976"
Mint marks D, S. Located on the
obverse beneath
Contents Eisenhower's bust. Mint
1 Background mark omitted on
2 Inception Philadelphia Mint issues.
3 Design Obverse
4 Release
5 Production
5.1 Early years (19711974)
5.2 Bicentennial issue (19751976)
5.3 Final years and replacement (19771978)
6 Collecting
7 Mintage figures
8 References
 9 External links

Background
The silver dollar had never been a popular coin, circulating little except in
the West; it served as a means of monetizing metal and generally sat in
bank vaults once struck. The Peace dollar, the last circulating dollar made
of silver, was not struck after 1935, and in most years in the quarter
century after that, the bullion value of a silver dollar did not exceed 70
cents. In the early 1960s, though, silver prices rose, and the huge stocks of
silver dollars in the hands of banks and the government were obtained by Design Dwight D. Eisenhower
the public through the redemption of silver certificates. This caused Designer Frank Gasparro
shortages of silver dollars in the western states where the pieces circulated,
[1]
Design date 1971
and interests there sought the issuance of more dollars.
Reverse
On August 3, 1964, Congress passed legislation providing for the striking
of 45 million silver dollars. This legislation was enacted as coins vanished
from circulation as the price of silver rose past the $1.29 per ounce at
which silver dollars were worth more as bullion than as currency. The new
pieces were intended to be used at Nevada casinos and elsewhere in the
West where "hard money" was popular. Numismatic periodicals
complained that striking the dollars was a waste of resources.[2] The law
had been passed at the urging of the Senate Majority Leader, Mike
Mansfield (DemocratMontana), who represented a state that heavily used
silver dollars.[3] Despite the efforts of Mint Director Eva Adams and her
staff to persuade him, Senator Mansfield refused to consider any
cancellation or delay, and on May 12, 1965 theDenver Mint began striking Design Eagle clutching olive
1964-D Peace dollars[4]the Mint had obtained congressional branch landing on the
[5]
authorization to continue striking 1964-dated coins into 1965. Moon, based on the
Apollo 11
A public announcement of the new pieces was made on May 15, 1965,[6]
mission insignia
only to be met with a storm of objections. Both the public and many
Designer Frank Gasparro
congressmen saw the issue as a poor use of Mint resources at a time of
severe coin shortages, which would only benefit coin dealers. On May 24, Design date 1971 (Not struck in
one day before a hastily called congressional hearing, Adams announced 197576)
that the pieces were deemed trial strikes, never intended for circulation.
The Mint later stated that 316,076 pieces had been struck; all were reported melted amid heavy security. To ensure that there would
be no repetition, Congress inserted a provision in the Coinage Act of 1965 forbidding the coinage of silver dollars for five years.[7]
, and reduced the silver content of the half dollar to 40%.[8]
That act also removed silver from the dime and quarter

Inception
In 1969, Nixon administration Mint Director Mary Brooks sought the reissuance of the dollar coin. By this time, rising bullion prices
threatened the continued use of silver in the Kennedy half dollar, but Brooks hoped to maintain the dollar as a silver coin. Brooks'
proposal for a new silver dollar was opposed by the chairman of the House Banking Committee, Wright Patman, who had been
convinced by Nixon's predecessor, Lyndon Johnson, to support the continued use of silver in the half dollar against his better
judgment.[9]

An unofficially produced 1964-D
Peace dollar, struck over a
genuine silver dollar by a private
mint
On March 28, 1969, former president and World War II general Dwight D. Eisenhower
(nicknamed "Ike") died. Soon after his death, New Jersey Representative Florence
Dwyer, like Eisenhower a Republican, suggested that the proposed dollar coin bear his
likeness. She spoke to Democratic Missouri Representative Leonor Sullivan, who
agreed that the dollar should bear a portrait of Eisenhower as "equal time" to the half
dollar, which bore the likeness of Democratic president John F. Kennedy.[10] A bill was
filed by Connecticut Congressman Robert N. Giaimo to authorize an Eisenhower dollar,
to be struck without silver content. The Joint Commission on the Coinage, drawing
members from the administration and from Congress, including Giaimo, recommended
the dollar in spring 1969. It also called for the elimination of silver from the half dollar,
and for the transfer from the Treasury to the General Services Administration (GSA) of
quantities of rare silver dollars, so they could be sold. Giaimo noted that the coin would
be useful in casinos, which were striking their own tokens in the absence of circulating
dollar coins, and in the vending industry, which was starting to sell higher-priced
items.[11]

On October 3, 1969, the House Banking Committee passed legislation for a silverless Eisenhower dollar, with Patman stating that he
hoped to have it approved by the full House in time for the late president's birthday on October 14.[12] On October 6, the bill's
sponsors lost a procedural vote which would have allowed for no amendments. While some representatives spoke against the manner
in which the legislation was to be considered, Iowa CongressmanH. R. Gross objected to the base-metal composition of the proposed
coin: "You would be doing the memory of President Eisenhower no favor to mint a dollar made perhaps of scrap metal."[13] Both
houses voted on October 14, Eisenhower's birthday
. Although the House passed the administration-backed bill for a base metal dollar
,
the Senate passed the bill as amended by Colorado Senator Peter Dominick, calling for the piece to be minted in 40% silver.
Instrumental in the passage of the Senate amendment was a letter from Mamie Eisenhower, recalling that her husband had liked to
give silver dollars as mementoes, and had gone to some effort to obtain coins struck in the year of his birth, 1890.[14][15] Idaho
Senator James McClure stated, "It is somehow beneath the dignity of a great president like General Eisenhower to withhold silver
from the coin." On October 29, 1969, Texas Representative Robert R. Casey introduced legislation to honor both Eisenhower and the
recent Apollo 11 Moon landing. These provisions would become part of the enacted bill authorizing the Eisenhower dollar.[16] Casey
originally wanted the mission theme of Apollo 11, "We came in peace for all mankind", to appear on the coin; when the Mint
informed him that there was not room for that inscription, he settled for requiring that the reverse design be emblematic of that
theme.[17]

In March 1970, the two houses reached a compromise whereby 150 million dollars would be struck in the 40% silver alloy for
collectors and others. The circulating dollar, though, would have no silver and would be struck in larger quantities.[18] The 47.4
million troy ounces of silver needed to strike the collectors' pieces would come from bullion already held by the government. The
compromise was worked out by McClure and other congressional Republicans, with the aid of Brooks, an Idahoan. McClure
described the deal as "a lot less than the country deserves, but a lot more than it appeared we would get". [19] The reason for having a
[20]
collector's edition with silver was to avoid the hoarding which had driven the Kennedy half dollar from circulation.

Although the compromise passed the Senate in March 1970,[21] it was blocked in the House by Representative Patman, who was
determined to end silver in the coinage. The Senate passed the bill again in September, this time attaching it as a rider to a bank
holding company bill sought by Patman. The bill, which also included provisions to eliminate silver from the half dollar and to
transfer the rare silver dollars to the GSA, was approved by a conference committee and passed both houses. Nixon had intended to
let the bill pass into law without his signature. When aides realized that as Congress had adjourned, not signing the bill would pocket
[10][22][23]
veto it, Nixon hastily signed it just before midnight on December 31, 1970, only minutes before the deadline.

Design
For Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, the opportunity to put Eisenhower on a coin was the fulfillment of a longtime dream. On
June 19, 1945, Gasparro had been one of more than 4 million people who gathered in New York to watch a parade celebrating the
Allied victory in Europe. Although Gasparro, then an assistant engraver at the Mint, only saw a glimpse of General Eisenhower, he
 stepped back from the crowd and drew the general's features. That sketch served as
the basis of his design for the obverse. Gasparro consulted with the late president's
widow, Mamie Eisenhower, as to the designs of both sides of the coin; the former
First Lady was presented with a galvano (a metallic model used in the coin design
process) by Brooks and Gasparro on January 1, 1971.[24] Gasparro wrote in 1991
that he had six weeks to complete the work beginning in mid-November 1970, that
his extensive research into eagles over the years was a great help in creating the
reverse, and that his sketches were adopted without change. The chief engraver was
not given full freedom of design; he was instructed to have the layout of the obverse
resemble that of the Washington quarter.[25]

Before the legislation passed, Gasparro had prepared two reverses, the one actually
The Apollo 11 mission insignia
used, and a reverse with a more formal heraldic eagle, which numismatic historian
served as the basis of the
and coin dealer Q. David Bowers finds reminiscent of pattern coins prepared in the
Eisenhower dollar's reverse.
1870s. At Congress's insistence, the chief engraver created a design in
commemoration of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, based on the mission patch
conceived by astronaut Michael Collins and others. Bowers deems the choice of the lunar landing "a stroke of genius", allowing the
dollar, which would be little-used in commerce, to be a commemorative both of Eisenhower and of the Moon mission.[26] The
reverse depicts an eagle (representing the lunar lander, Eagle) swooping low over the Moon's surface, holding an olive branch, token
of peace, in its claws.[24]

The use of Collins' mission patch design had initially been opposed by some government officials because of the fierce expression of
the eagle; Gasparro's initial concept met similar objections. The Mint Director recalled that Gasparro had gone to the Philadelphia
Zoo to look at eagles, and on his return had prepared a design which she felt emphasized the eagle's predatory nature.[27] Brooks
informed Gasparro that the eagle was "too fierce, too warlike, a little too aggressive" and asked that the expression be made
friendlier. Gasparro, who reportedly was unhappy at having to change the eagle,[28] described the final version as "pleasant
looking".[24] The State Department also feared that the eagle's expression might offend, and sought a neutral visage.[26] The distant
[24]
Earth may be seen above the bird, and there are 13 stars in honor of the original states.

Bowers deems the bust of Eisenhower "well modeled" by Gasparro, and notes that the fact that the eagle on the reverse holds only an
olive branch, rather than arrows as well (token of war), "meant that the public would like the design".[26] Nevertheless, he notes that
Eisenhower's stern expression was widely criticized as not typical of a man noted for geniality.[25] Numismatic author David Lange
opines that "the Eisenhower dollar is one of the poorest products to emanate from the U.S. Mint".[29] Lange writes that, although
Gasparro had designed only one side of the coin for the Kennedy half dollar and Lincoln Memorial reverse for the cent, "the
Eisenhower dollar was his design alone and should have served as a showcase for his talent. Sadly
, it is a mediocre design that reveals
his typically unnatural treatment of Ike's hair and the eagle's feathers."[29] Some collectors complained after the release that the Earth
was not fully shown, not realizing that Gasparro had carefully followed the mission badge. The chief engraver responded by
clarifying the design.[30]

Release
Two prototype dollars were struck at the Philadelphia Mint on January 25, 1971; they were subsequently destroyed.[31] Striking such
large pieces of tough copper-nickel proved destructive to the Mint's dies, and Gasparro repeatedly used the Janvier reducing lathe to
lower the relief to be used on the circulation strikes and the uncirculated silver clad coins. The chief engraver altered the resulting
master die directly to restore at least some of the detail which was lost as the relief was lowered. The proof coins struck at San
Francisco, nevertheless, remained in high relief.[32] This meant that in 1971 and for much of 1972 (until better-quality steel was used
in the dies), the uncirculated strikes had a lower relief, less detailed surface, compared with the proof coins. Proof coins are struck
slowly, and generally multiple times, to bring out the full detail.[33] Striking of Eisenhower dollars for circulation began at Denver on
February 3, apparently without any ceremony; minting at Philadelphia also began early in the year, although Bowers, in his
comprehensive encyclopedia of silver and clad dollar coins, does not record a specific date.[34] The first Eisenhower dollars in 40%
silver, with an uncirculated finish, were struck at the San Francisco Assay Office (today the San Francisco Mint) on March 31, 1971;
Brooks ceremoniously operated the presses. The first coin struck was for
presentation to Mamie Eisenhower; the second to David Eisenhower (grandson of
Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower) and the third to David Eisenhower's father-in-law,
President Nixon.[35]

On January 29, 1971, the Mint announced the

prices for the 40% silver pieces which would
be struck at San Francisco: $3 for The Eisenhower dollar's design as
released by the Treasury in January
uncirculated specimens and $10 for mirror-
1971 (probably from photographs of
surfaced proof pieces, with orders to be taken
the galvano)
by mail beginning on July 1, with a limit of
five of each per customer. Order forms for
the public were shipped to 44,000 post offices and 33,000 banks, with instructions not to hand
them out until June 18. The Mint returned some orders for being sent in too early.[36] Mint
.[16]
sets of the circulating coinage for 1971 did not include the Eisenhower dollar

.[36] The proof pieces were sold in a

The first proof strikes, at San Francisco, took place in July
plastic holder inside a brown box with a gold eagle seal; the uncirculated silver pieces were
encased in pliofilm inside a blue envelope. These were dubbed "brown Ikes" and "blue Ikes"
and are still known by those terms.[37] On July 27, 1971, President Nixon presented the first
piece to be struck to Mamie Eisenhower at a White House ceremony.[38] Sales of the 40%
silver pieces were ended on October 8; the first proof coins were mailed to collectors on
.[31]
October 14, President Eisenhower's birthday
1974-S "brown Ike", partially
open to show the coin and
The circulation version of the Eisenhower dollar, the largest clad coin ever attempted by the
holder
Mint,[39] was released through banks on November 1, 1971. Many were obtained by
collectors; there was sufficient demand that many banks imposed a limit of one coin per
customer. The clad pieces were struck from coinage strip purchased by the Mint from contractors. Many were not well-struck,
causing collectors to search through rolls in search of better specimens. An oil film was found on a large number of specimens; this
was removed by collectors.[30][40]

From the start, the coin failed to circulate. In 1976, a Treasury study done in conjunction with a private-sector firm found that the
Eisenhower dollar had a near-100 percent attrition rate, that is, almost always, a coin was used in only one transaction, and then
stopped circulating (by comparison, the attrition rate of the quarter was close to zero). This was because of the coin's large size, its
weight, and the lack of potential uses for it.[41] Even so, it was successful in replacing private-issue tokens in Nevada casinos.[42]
According to numismatist Randy Camper, about 70% of Eisenhower dollars were used in casinos.[43] Although the vending machine
industry lobbied for the Eisenhower dollar, they converted few machines to take the pieces.[44] Lange recalled, "The fact is that these
[29]
coins never circulated outside of casinos and nearby areas, and I don't recall ever seeing a vending machine that accepted them."

Production

Early years (19711974)

The Mint struck over 125 million of the Eisenhower dollars in 1971, more than doubling its largest annual production for a dollar
coin. Despite an increased mintage in 1972 to over 170 million, and despite what CoinAge magazine termed "near-heroic measures
on the part of the Mint", the piece did not circulate.[45] In a 1974 article for CoinAge, numismatist Clement F. Bailey noted, "the
circulation value of the coin has been nil".[42] Many Eisenhower dollars were put aside as souvenirs by non-collectors.[46]
Nevertheless, the silver coins sold so well that in October 1971, Mint Director Brooks warned that orders for 1971-S proof dollars
would not all be filled until well into 1972. She ascribed the delay to the large public demand and to production difficulties which she
indicated had been corrected.[47] More than 11 million of the 1971-S silver pieces were sold, in proof and uncirculated, with nearly 7

[37]
million in proof.[37] In May 1972, Treasury Secretary John Connally, testifying
before a Senate committee, described the profits the Mint had made on the silver
version of the Eisenhower dollar as "just unconscionable", with the average profit on
a silver coin at $3.89, and expected to increase as production became more efficient.
Mint officials felt that reducing the price would anger those who had already
purchased the pieces.[48]

The 1972 silver pieces were again struck at San Francisco. Sales dropped
considerably, to just under 2.2 million specimens in uncirculated and 1.8 million in
proof.[49] The part-silver 1972-S Eisenhower dollars were available for sale by mail
order, with the ordering period from May 1 to July 15 for the proof coins and August
1973-S "blue Ike": envelope, pliofilm
1 to October 16 for the uncirculated version.[31]
coin holder, and printed insert

With ample supplies of Eisenhower dollars, the Federal Reserve had no need to
order any in 1973, and none were struck for circulation.[50] The 1973 and 1973-D
were the first Eisenhower dollars struck for inclusion in mint sets, and were, in theory, only available that way. Many 1973 and 1973-
D are known in circulated condition, leading to speculation that the 230,798 pieces which were reported melted after the Mint failed
to sell as many mint sets as anticipated, were in fact released into circulation.[51] John Wexler, Bill Crawford, and Kevin Flynn, in
their volume on Eisenhower dollars, deny this, citing a 1974 letter from Assistant Director of the Mint for Public Services Roy C.
Cahoon, which stated that all 1973 Eisenhower dollars from unsold mint sets were melted.[43] The 1973-S was struck for inclusion in
base-metal proof sets, as well as for the regular "blue Ikes" and "brown Ikes". Sales of the part-silver pieces dipped to a total of just
under 2.9 million. The coin was struck again for circulation in 1974, was included in mint sets and proof sets, and was available in
proof and uncirculated silver clad from San Francisco.[52][53] Congress ordered that some of the money from the sale of 1974-S
silver pieces be used to support Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, New York. Coin collectors felt that this set a bad precedent, but
about $9 million was paid to the college between 1974 and 1978;[30] yet, despite the infusion of money, the college closed its doors
in 1982.[54]

Bicentennial issue (19751976)

Bicentennial Reverses

Type I Bicentennial, struck in Type II Bicentennial, struck 1975

1975 76

The United States had issued commemorative coins between 1892 and 1954, as a means for fundraising for organizations deemed
worthy of federal support. A sponsoring organization would be designated in the authorizing legislation, and was permitted to buy up
the issue at face value, selling it to the public at a premium, and pocketing the difference. Various problems with the issues, including
mishandling of distributions and complaints that public coins should not be used for private profit, resulted in firm Treasury
[55]
Department opposition to such issues, and none were struck after 1954.

The American Revolutionary Bicentennial Commission (ARBC) was established by Congress in 1966 as an oversight body for the
1976 two-hundredth anniversary of American independence (the "Bicentennial"). In 1970, its coins and medals advisory committee
recommended the issuance of a special half dollar, and subsequently the committee sought the temporary redesign of circulating
American coins. Brooks and the Mint initially opposed legislation to effect these proposals, but eventually Brooks supported
legislation to redesign the reverses of the quarter, half dollar and dollar coins, and to issue special collector's sets in silver clad.
Legislation to authorize this was signed by President Nixon on October 18, 1973. By the terms of this legislation, coins of these
denomination minted for delivery after July 4, 1975 and before December 31, 1976 would bear special reverses, and also be dated
17761976. A total of 15 million sets (45 million) coins in all would be struck in silver clad for sale to the public at a
premium.[56][57][58]

The reverse designs for the three Bicentennial coins were determined by a
design competition open to the public. This competition closed in January 1974,
and in March, a design submitted by 22-year-old art student Dennis R. Williams
was selected for the dollar. Williams, the youngest person to that point to design
a U.S. coin, had submitted a design depicting the Liberty Bell superimposed
against the Moon. Gasparro slightly modified the design, simplifying the
features visible on the lunar surface, and altering the lettering and the bell.[59]
Williams and the designers of the other denominations operated the presses to
Mint Director Mary Brooks presents
strike the first coins on August 12, 1974; a set of these prototypes was later President Gerald Ford (center) with the
given to the new president, Gerald Ford.[60][61] Williams' design was liked by first set of the Bicentennial coins,
the public but attracted criticism in the numismatic community as the Liberty November 13, 1974, as American
Bell had been previously used on coinage (for example, on the Franklin half Revolutionary Bicentennial
Administration DirectorJohn Warner
dollar).[30] Fearing that a low-mintage 1975 piece would be hoarded, the Mint
looks on.
obtained legislation in December 1974 allowing it to continue coining 1974-
[62]
dated pieces until it began coinage of Bicentennial pieces.
Type II Eisenhower dollar (1976)
The Bicentennial dollars were the first of the three denominations to be struck for
distribution to the public; these were coined beginning in February 1975.[63] The
silver pieces were struck at San Francisco beginning on April 23, 1975.[64] The
Mint found that the copper nickel dollar was striking indistinctly, a problem not
seen with the silver pieces. Brooks called a halt in production to allow Gasparro
to modify the dies; the most noticeable change is that the revised issue, or Type II
as it came to be known, have narrower, sharper lettering on the reverse. All silver
Obverse : Reverse : Liberty
pieces (struck only at San Francisco) are Type I; all three mints struck both Type I
Eisenhower Bell in front of
and Type II copper nickel pieces. All dollars included in 1975 proof sets are Type
portrait, US moon, country
I; all those included in 1976 proof sets are Type II.[65][66][67] The first
national motto , name, face value
Bicentennial dollars were released into circulation on October 13, 1975.[68] Over
Liberty on top, US and E pluribus
220 million were struck.[69] The Bicentennial design was not used after 1976;[70] Independence year unum (Out of
sets of silver clad Bicentennial coins were sold by the Mint until sales were finally (1776) and year of many, one)
closed at the end of 1986.[71] minting (1976)

One proof Bicentennial coin in silver clad and lacking a mint mark, similar to the Coin made of silver
dollar in the prototype set given to President Ford, is known. This piece supposedly came from a cash register drawer at the
Woodward & Lothrop department store in Washington, D.C. Thomas K. DeLorey, who was then a reporter for Coin World, spoke to
the discoverer and was suspicious of the story, thinking it more likely the coin was surreptitiously obtained from the government. He
declined to question the origin then, fearing it might be seized and lost to the numismatic community. The piece brought almost
$30,000 by private sale in 1987.[72]

Final years and replacement (19771978)

By 1975, the Treasury was concerned about the drain on resources from striking the dollar, which did not circulate. It engaged a
private firm to study the six current denominations of U.S. coinage, and make recommendations. The firm concluded in its report that
the Eisenhower dollar was too large and heavy to circulate effectively, but if the diameter was reduced by about a third, and the
weight by two-thirds, it might be used.[45] That report found that "the Eisenhower dollar has not been widely accepted by the public
[73]
 because of its large size and weight".[73] In January 1977, just prior to leaving
office, Ford's Treasury Secretary, William E. Simon, proposed the elimination of
the cent and half dollar, and a reduction in size of the dollar.[74] According to
Bowers, the Treasury had come to believe that a coin as large as the Eisenhower
[75]
dollar simply would not circulate in the United States.

The Mint struck pattern pieces of the smaller size, with various shapes and
compositions. An 11-sided coin was considered, which would have differentiated
it from the quarter, but the patterns would not work in vending machines. Such
exotic metals as titanium were considered before the Mint decided on the standard
clad composition. Gasparro prepared, for the circulating pieces, a design showing
Liberty with flowing hair, similar to early American coins.[76]
The Susan B. Anthony dollar
As the Eisenhower dollar awaited its demise, approximately 50 million per year
were struck, using the eagle design for the reverse. In both years, the majority
[77]
coined were at Denver. No silver collector's edition was issued; the blue and brown Ikes ended with 1974.

The new Treasury Secretary, Michael Blumenthal, supported Gasparro's design in testimony before Congress; Wisconsin Senator
William Proxmire dubbed Blumenthal's position a "cop-out".[78] Proxmire refused to introduce the bill, which would have left the
choice of design up to Blumenthal or his successor, instead introducing his own legislation to commemorate early women's rights
leader Susan B. Anthony.[79] Many in the new Congress and in the Carter Administration were social progressives, and supported
women's lib. Ohio Representative Mary Rose Oakar also introduced legislation for a Susan B. Anthony dollar in October 1978; it
proceeded rapidly through Congress and was signed by President Jimmy Carter. Gasparro was given photographs of Anthony and
told to reproduce her appearance exactly on the coin. Anthony's stern expression caused some to dub it the "Susan B. Agony" dollar.
The Eisenhower dollar's reverse was used for the Anthony dollar. Convinced that the public would hoard the new pieces, the Mint
Bureau produced half a billion before its official release to the public on July 2, 1979. It need not have worried; the public quickly
rejected the new coin as too close in size and weight to the quarter dollar, and production for circulation ceased after 1980.[80] Mint
Director Stella Hackel Sims stated, "people are accustomed to the Eisenhower dollar, but in time, they'll become accustomed to the
Susan".[81] Attempts were made to give the new smaller dollars out as change in postal transactions, and to force their use by U.S.
military personnel in Europe; both failed.[82]

Collecting
Collected by date and mint mark, no Eisenhower dollar is rare, and a complete set
Appearance of the Earth
may be acquired without difficulty. However, many were badly struck, without full
on the 1972 Eisenhower dollar
detail, especially in 1971 and 1972, and the pieces acquired nicks, or "bag marks"
from contact with each other soon after striking. Although lower-grade silver coins
can be melted, this is not practical for Eisenhower dollars due to the lack of precious
metal content, and dealers often try to get any premium they can on face value.
Completing a set of highest-grade specimens may be difficult and expensive,
especially for the 1971 and 1972 from Philadelphia or Denver, which were not sold
in mint sets, and thus only came to collectors through banks.[39][83] A 1973-D piece,
tied with ten other specimens for the finest known of that date and mint mark in Type I
near-pristine MS-67 condition sold in June 2013 for $12,925. According to
numismatic writer Steve Reach, "as more people submit modern-era coins like
Eisenhower dollars for third-party certification, the true rarity of many issues in top-
grades is becoming clear."[84]

Some of the 1971-D pieces exhibit a variety in which (among several differences)
the eagle lacks brow lines, these have been dubbed by Eisenhower dollar specialists
the "Friendly Eagle Pattern".[32] The 1972 dollar struck at Philadelphia is broken
Type II
down into three varieties, which were made as Gasparro adjusted the design to take
advantage of better steel being used in the Mint's dies. A midyear change in the
design was announced by Brooks at the American Numismatic Association's 1972
convention in New Orleans, although she did not state exactly what was being
changed. The three varieties may be differentiated by examining the depiction of the
Earth on the reverse. Type I dollars show the Earth somewhat flattened, Florida
pointing to the southeast, with the islands mostly to the southeast of the tip of the
peninsula. The Earth is round and Florida points to the south on the Type II, with a Type III
single, large island to the southeast. The Type III is similar to the Type II, except that
there are two islands directly to the south of the peninsula.[85] The Type II is from a single reverse die, used in March 1972, and
erroneously placed in service at Philadelphiait is identical to and should have been used for the silver proof strikes at San
Francisco. The Type III was placed in service, replacing the Type I, in September 1972.[86] The Type I is most common; the Type III
design was used in 1973 and after. The 1972 Type II is expensive in top grades, as is the 17761976 Type I from Philadelphia, which
was only available in mint sets.[39][87]

Some 1971-S proof pieces (and a few uncirculated 1971-S) have the serifs at the foot of the "R" in "LIBERTY" missing; this is
dubbed the "peg leg" variety.[43] The serifs are missing on all 1972-S, both uncirculated and proof. After the Mint obtained better
steel for dies, the serifs returned for all of the remaining non-Bicentennial coinage, from all mints, though the leg of the R was
shortened, and also for the Type II Bicentennial (the Type I lacks serifs on the R). Gasparro was often trying to improve the detail of
Eisenhower's head during the coin's tenure, and as the R is the letter closest to it, these changes were most likely made in an effort to
[88]
improve the flow of metal as the coins were struck.

In 1974 and again in 1977, the Denver Mint struck a small number of pieces on silver-clad planchets, or blanks. Both times, these
came from planchets which had been shipped from the San Francisco Assay Office to Denver. The first ones in 1974 were found
independently by two Las Vegas blackjack dealers.[89] The 1974 planchets were initially intended to be used for "brown Ike" proof
strikings; Mint policy then was that rejected silver proof planchets were to be used for uncirculated "blue Ikes", but these were placed
in the bin for rejected copper-nickel proof planchets, intended to be shipped to be coined for circulation at Denver. The 1977 pieces
resulted from pieces rejected for Bicentennial silver proof use, which were again placed in the wrong bin (they should have been
melted, as the Mint was no longer striking silver uncirculated Eisenhower dollars). Between 10 and 20 of each date are known.
Wexler, Crawford, and Flynn report an even rarer 17761976-D dollar in silver, but state that none have been offered at auction or
submitted to the major coin grading services.[65]

Bowers notes that the Morgan dollar (struck between 1878 and 1921) was not widely collected at the time, only to become very
popular later, and suggests that one day, the turn of the Eisenhower dollar will come.[90] Numismatist Charles Morgan said of the
Eisenhower dollar in 2012,

It stands today as the greatest achievement in clad coinage in U.S. history. It was the most technically challenging
coin ever attempted ... Researching the Eisenhower Dollar is vital for numismatic historians who want to understand
what the post-silver era was like. The Eisenhower Dollar was a noble failure. In this respect, it truly is a perfect
collectible coin.[39]

Mintage figures
Circulation strikes:[91] Uncirculated silver:[91] Proof:[91]

1971 47,799,000 1973 1,769,258 1971-S 6,868,530 ("blue 1971-S silver 4,265,234 ("brown
1971-D 1973-D Ike") Ike")
68,587,424 1,769,258 1972-S 2,193,056 ("blue 1972-S silver 1,811,631 ("brown
1972 75,890,000 1974 27,366,000 Ike") Ike")
1972-D 1974-D 1973-S 1,883,140 ("blue 1973-S clad 2,760,339 (Regular
92,548,511 45,517,000 Ike") annual set)
 (No dollars 17761976-D 1974-S 1,900,156 ("blue 1973-S silver 1,013,646 ("brown
dated 1975) Type II Ike") Ike")
82,179,564 17761976-S 4,908,319 (3- 1974-S clad 2,612,568 (Regular
17761976 Type 1977 12,596,000 coin Bicentennial set) annual set)
I 4,019,000 1977-D 1974-S silver 1,306,579 ("brown
17761976-D 32,983,006 Ike")
Type I 1978 25,702,000 17761976-S clad Type I
21,048,710 1978-D 2,845,450 (1975 regular annual
17761976 Type 33,102,890 set)
II 113,318,000 17761976-S clad Type II
4,149,730 (1976 regular annual
set)
1976-S silver 3,998,621 (3-coin
Bicentennial set)
1977-S 3,251,152 (Regular annual
set)
1978-S 3,127,781 (Regular annual
set)

References
1. Bowers 1993, pp. 28422846. 31. Bailey, p. 10.
2. Breen 1988, p. 461. 32. Ike Group, pp. 5859.
3. Burdette 2005, p. 78. 33. Wexler, Crawford & Flynn 2007, pp. 67.
4. Burdette 2005, p. 86. 34. Bowers 1993, pp. 2860, 2864.
5. The New York Times & September 13, 1964. 35. The Press-Courier & April 1, 1971.
6. Burdette 2005, pp. 8788. 36. Bailey, p. 94.
7. Burdette 2005, pp. 98101. 37. Bowers 1993, p. 2866.
8. Logan May 1979, p. 36. 38. Toledo Blade & July 28, 1971.
9. Logan May 1979, p. 37. 39. Morgan.
10. Logan May 1979, pp. 37, 40. 40. Youngstown Vindicator & November 4, 1971.
11. The New York Times & June 15, 1969. 41. Logan May 1979, p. 40.
12. The New York Times & October 4, 1969. 42. Bailey, p. 9.
13. The New York Times & October 7, 1969. 43. Wexler, Crawford & Flynn 2007, pp. 8, 202.
14. The New York Times & October 15, 1969. 44. Herbert.
15. The Bulletin & October 15, 1969. 45. CoinAge May 1979.
16. Bowers 1993, p. 2860. 46. Bowers 1993, p. 2870.
17. Ike Group, p. 57. 47. The New York Times & October 24, 1971.
18. The New York Times & March 8, 1970. 48. Toledo Blade & May 11, 1972.
19. Spokane Daily Chronicle& March 6, 1970. 49. Bowers 1993, p. 2874.
20. Wolenik March 1971, p. 29. 50. The New York Times & September 2, 1973.
21. The Spokesman-Review& March 20, 1970. 51. Bowers 1993, pp. 2877, 2880.
22. Gilkes. 52. Breen 1988, p. 464.
23. The New York Times & September 17, 1970. 53. Yeoman 2013, pp. 344, 349.
24. The New York Times & January 24, 1971. 54. Lange, p. 24.
25. Bowers 1993, p. 2855. 55. Breen 1988, pp. 581582.
26. Bowers 1993, p. 2851. 56. Breen 1988, p. 371.
27. Wolenik March 1971, p. 34. 57. Marotta 2001, p. 502.
28. Ike Group, p. 58. 58. Coin World Almanac 1977, p. 422.
29. Lange. 59. Coin World Almanac 1977, p. 424.
30. Bowers 1993, p. 2852. 60. Breen 1988, p. 472.
61. Coin World Almanac 1977, pp. 424425. 77. Bowers 1993, pp. 29142927.
62. Ganz 1976, pp. 6668. 78. Bowers 1993, p. 2929.
63. Coin World Almanac 1977, p. 10. 79. Ganz July 1979, pp. 49, 52.
64. Marotta 2001, p. 503. 80. Bowers 1993, pp. 29292930.
65. Wexler, Crawford & Flynn 2007, p. 8. 81. Logan October 1979, p. 101.
66. Yeoman 2013, pp. 232233. 82. Bowers 1993, p. 2930.
67. Logan May 1979, p. 42. 83. Bowers 1993, p. 2858.
68. Bowers 1993, p. 2897. 84. Reach.
69. Yeoman 2013, p. 233. 85. 1972 varieties.
70. Bowers 1993, pp. 2852, 2854. 86. Wexler, Crawford & Flynn 2007, p. 7.
71. Marotta 2001, p. 542. 87. Hicks, p. 644.
72. Bowers 1993, p. 2901. 88. Wexler, Crawford & Flynn 2007, pp. 182184.
73. Logan July 1979, p. 42. 89. Bowers 1993, pp. 2852, 2890, 2917.
74. Ganz October 1979, p. 44. 90. Bowers 1993, p. 2857.
75. Bowers 1993, p. 2954. 91. Yeoman 2013, pp. 252253, 345.
76. Logan July 1979, p. 46.

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Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers and Merena Galleries, Inc. ISBN 0-943161-48-7.
Breen, Walter (1988). Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins. New York, NY: Doubleday.
ISBN 978-0-385-14207-6.
Burdette, Roger W. (2005). Renaissance of American Coinage, 19161921 . Great Falls, VA: Seneca Mill Press.
ISBN 978-0-9768986-0-3.
Coin World Almanac (3rd ed.). Sidney, OH: Amos Press. 1977.ASIN B004AB7C9M.
Ganz, David L. (1976). 14 Bits: The Story of America's Bicentennial Coinage . Washington, DC: Three Continents
Press. ISBN 978-0-914478-63-8.
Wexler, John; Crawford, Bill; Flynn, Kevin (2007).The Authoritative Reference on Eisenhower Dollars(2nd ed.).
Roswell, GA: Kyle Vick. ISBN 978-0-9679655-9-8.
Yeoman, R.S. (2013). A Guide Book of United States Coins 2014(67th ed.). Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, LLC.
ISBN 978-0-7948-4180-5.

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External links
PCGS Price Guide for Eisenhower Dollars
Eisenhower Dollar Mintages at coinfacts.com
Eisenhower Dollar pictures

Succeeded by
Preceded by Dollar coin of the United States
Susan B. Anthony
Peace dollar 19711978
dollar

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eisenhower_dollar&oldid=800977099

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