Reasons To Collect Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coins
Can you believe it?... 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin.
To honor this occasion, I want to talk a bit about this dollar coin.
But I want to do more than simply discuss mintage numbers and coin values. Let's talk about why the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin is so fun to collect...
SBA Coin Gets No Respect
The late, great comedian Rodney Dangerfield said it best when he lamented he got no respect. His words probably suit the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, too.
The poor Susan B. Anthony dollar, struck from 1979-1981 and also in 1999, is one of our nation's shortest-lived coins. It also could probably qualify for being one of our least-popular coins, too.
Perhaps the biggest complaints about the coin came from those who lost 75 cents each time they confused the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin with the quarter (because they look so similar and are about the same size). However, I'm sure that each of the Susan B. Anthony dollar detractors can think up other reasons why they just don't like the coin.
It goes without saying that it is an insult to call the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin the Carter Quarter. This is a direct reference to Jimmy Carter's signing into the law the bill which authorized striking the about-quarter-sized coin.
Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin History
The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin has been both celebrated -- and parodied.
Here are some excerpts from WikiPedia:
On [an] episode of "The Simpsons," [entitled] "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington," Lisa proposes that the family attend the memorial to the fictional Winifred Beecher Howe, an 'early crusader for women's rights' who was the leader of the 1910 Floor Mop Rebellion. 'Later,' Lisa notes, 'she appeared on the highly unpopular 75-cent piece.'
And there are many more references to the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin in pop culture, as you will find.
Rarest Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coins
Okay, it is fair to say there really is no such thing as a truly rare Susan B. Anthony dollar. But if you are on the lookout for Susan B. Anthony dollars in circulation, there is one year you will probably have a fairly hard time finding: 1981.
Why? Because of the 4 years the coin was struck (1979, 1980, 1981, and 1999), only in 1981 did the U.S. Mint not strike any Susan B. Anthony dollars for circulation.
All 1981 dollar coins were included only in mint-produced sets. However, there are collectors who have entered 1981 dollars in circulation.
Therefore, it is possible to find a 1981 Susan B. Anthony dollar in change. But good luck.
By far, the most common date for the Susan B. Anthony dollar is 1979 -- the year more than 750 million strikes of the coin were made. Roughly a tad more than 140 million were made for all other dates combined. Of all the Susan B. Anthony dollars ever made, only 9,742,000 regular-strike coins were dated 1981.
Collecting Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coins
One of the most enjoyable things about the Susan B. Anthony dollar is how relatively easy and inexpensive it is to assemble a complete collection of Susan B. Anthony dollar coins.
Including proofs and varieties, there are in total just 18 different Susan B. Anthony dollars to collect.
The most expensive date in the series is the 1981-S Type II proof, costing around $150 to $175.
The second most expensive date in the series is the 1979-S Type II proof, which will set you back about $75.
The 1979 wide rim variety (a coin on which the rim appears closer to the date than on other 1979 dollar issues) is a collector favorite that can demand around $30 to $45 in typical uncirculated grades.
The 1999-P proof can be had for about $20, and all other dates in the series will set you back between $2 to $5 apiece in typical mint state grades.
RELATED:
Hi, Darin:
What you have is a 1979-P SBA dollar inset in a commemorative ring or collar of some sort. The coin did not leave the U.S. Mint like that. The ring was placed around the coin later by a private individual or private mint.
Such a piece is generally classified as "exonumia" and does not have any collector value in the mainstream numismatic or investment market. It may, however, have nominal value in the novelty coin market.
I have this coin and am having problems finding any info 1979 with P and Gold ring around the coin.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p104/pthilltop3190/100_1164.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p104/pthilltop3190/100_1161.jpg
Madelyn:
The dealer is right -- the 1979 and 1980 SBA dollars are each worth only a dollar each if in circulated grades. Some may pay $1.05-1.10 for uncirculated grades.
The 1979-P wide-rim variety IS worth more than face value, but these are scarcer than the narrow rim 1979-P SBA dollar.
the coin dealers in my area say the 1979 coin is only worth $1.00, so where can I get the true value, who want to buy them?
I have aprox.350 sba 1979 most if not all are P MINT WILL SELL
Ron,
While it is possible your particular SBAs were treated earlier in some way so as to impart that uneven, "burnished" appearance, I can tell you that several of the SBA dollars I have both seen and owned also have the appearance of streaking, discoloration, etc. on parts of the coin.
While the entire coin is a copper-nickel clad composition, my guess is that because many millions of SBA dollars were stored away in bank vaults over a period of 10-15 years during the 1980s and into the 1990s, these coins toned unevenly due to storage conditions. Also, many SBAs that have been stored in collections often wind up in rolls, boxes, and bags which--if not stored in the proper environment--can lend the coins to tone due to humidity, heat, fumes, and other unsavory conditions.
1981-S II SBA
Why are some SBAs (I have 3 different dates this way) with the bottom of the coin (back side) about 1/3 of the bottom as a different finish? Almost looks burnished. It almost looks as if it were dipped? Just curious...