Susan B. Anthony dollar errors and varieties are highly collectible — and some are quite rare!
Do you know which rare Susan B. Anthony dollar coins are worth looking for?
A surprising number of Susan B. Anthony dollars have value as errors and varieties, and we’re going to look at these rare dollar coins and what makes them valuable.
Facts About Susan B. Anthony Coins
The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin had a short run of just 4 years of production — from 1979 through 1981, and then a single-year encore in 1999.
Yet, there were several notable varieties and errors produced during that time.
Although many collectors still haven’t embraced the “SBA” dollar or “Susie B.” as a noteworthy collectible, there are many who have. And those who do quite enjoy the many exciting opportunities offered by this series — the nation’s first small-size dollar and also the first regularly circulating United States coin to feature an actual woman.
None of the Susan B. Anthony dollars struck in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s contain silver — all were made from copper-nickel clad compositions. What’s more, most of the worn SBA dollars you come across, perhaps in pocket change or from vending machines, are worth only face value. That’s right… Most circulated Susan B. Anthony dollars you’ve ever found or may find in the future are worth just one dollar.
But that doesn’t mean this most unusual of modern coins is totally worthless. Quite the contrary. What follows is a complete guide to Susan B. Anthony dollar errors and varieties, and their values.
Susan B. Anthony Dollar Errors & Varieties
For a series that ran only a few years in total, the Susan B. Anthony dollar provides plenty of pizzazz to please variety and error collectors.
In fact, there are easily a half dozen major varieties — not to mention all of the garden-variety errors that could keep a collector busy searching for a lifetime!
7 Susan B. Anthony Dollar Varieties
Let’s kick off with the different varieties. There are several Susan B. Anthony dollar varieties worth a nice chunk of change!
Here are 7 of the most noteworthy Susan B. Anthony dollar varieties you should look for:
1979-P Narrow Rim Dollar
This is the most common type of 1979-P Susan B. Anthony dollar. When you encounter a 1979-P dollar, it’s most likely to be the 1979-P Narrow Rim — also called the 1979-P Far Date Susan B. Anthony dollar. These are worth face value if worn and about $2 and up in uncirculated condition.
While the 1979-P Narrow Rim SBA dollar isn’t worth very much in typical circulated or uncirculated grades, it’s nevertheless a distinct variety from its scarcer, more valuable 1979-P Wide Rim dollar counterpart (below). Thus, it’s worth collecting on its individual merits — especially for those who want a complete collection of Susan B. Anthony dollars.
1979-P Wide Rim Dollar
In late 1979, officials at the United States Mint decided to widen the rim of the Susan B. Anthony dollar to modify its appearance. This resulted in a scarce variety known as the Wide Rim or Near Date dollar.
While the wider rim was used on all Susan B. Anthony dollars that came after, it’s seen on only a small number of 1979-P dollar coins. Though there is no mintage number known for the 1979-P Wide Rim dollar, the total number of surviving specimens is probably fewer than 25,000.
The 1979-P Wide Rim dollar is in high demand and is valuable even in circulated grades. A circulated 1979-P Wide Rim dollar is worth $5 to $8, while uncirculated specimens trade for $20 and up.
1979-S Proof Type I Dollar
There are two types of 1979-S proof dollar — and the Type I is the more common.
What distinguishes a 1979-S Type I dollar from the 1979-S Type II, and how much are these coins worth?
The 1979-S Type I proof dollar (which was sold to collectors in the 1979 United States Mint proof set) shows what many collectors call a “blobby S” mintmark.
The vast majority of the 3,677,175 proof dollars made that year are of the Type I variety. The 1979-S Type I dollar is worth about $3 to $5 in typical proof grades.
1979-S Proof Type II Dollar
The 1979-S Type II proof dollar is much scarcer than its Type I predecessor.
So how do you know if you’ve got the Type II?
It has a much clearer “S” mintmark. While the “S” is clear, the ends of the “S” seem to connect to the middle of the letter with slightly raised areas, giving the rough appearance of the number “8” — with two clear holes near the top and bottom segments of the mintmark.
The 1979-S Type II proof dollar is worth about $25 and up.
1980-S Proof Repunched Mintmark Dollar
This variety is not commonly known outside the circle of Susan B. Anthony dollar collectors. But it’s significant enough to mention here.
The 1980-S repunched mintmark proof dollar shows the blotchy remnants of another “S” to the lower left of the primary “S” mintmark.
Not many of these coins show up in the marketplace, though when they do they can take anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on their condition.
1981-S Proof Type I Dollar
Most 1981-S proof dollars are the Type I variety — which is really just the 1979-S Type II “S” mintmark.
Of the 4,063,083 proof dollars struck in 1981, at least 80% to 85% are Type I dollars.
They are usually worth $3 to $5 apiece.
1981-S Proof Type II Dollar
The rare 1981-S Type II Susan B. Anthony dollar is certainly worth looking for in any 1981 United States Mint Proof Sets you can get your hands on. (These were produced in the last months of 1981 and number somewhere between 500,000 and 700,000 specimens.)
Extremely sought after, the 1981-S Type II proof dollar is distinctive from the Type I with its clear “S” mintmark with bulbous serifs. The “S” mintmark has a perfectly clear outline all the way around.
Most 1981-S Type II dollars are worth $100 and up.
IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your SBA Dollar Coin?
To determine the true value of your Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.
Grab a coin magnifier and a copy of the U.S. Coin Grading Standards book. Then, watch this video to see how to grade coins yourself at home:
These are the best coin grading apps that make grading coins yourself SO much easier!
6 Susan B. Anthony Dollar Errors
As with any coin, the Susan B. Anthony dollar can be found with errors. However, most Susan B. Anthony dollars were struck without noteworthy flaws — so significant errors in this series are rare coins!
Here are 6 Susan B. Anthony dollar errors you may come across:
Clipped Planchets
If you ever find a Susan B. Anthony dollar with what appears to be a straight edge or a crescent-shaped cut on one side, hang onto it. It could be a clipped planchet error.
Susan B. Anthony clipped planchet dollar errors are worth $25 or more.
Multiple Strikes
Multiple strikes occur when a planchet gets stuck on the press between the dies for at least one additional and unintentional striking. What results is a coin with multiple images of the same design — sometimes they’re oriented in the same direction, while other times, the design will appear at different angles.
These differ from doubled dies — which are created during the die creation process and show doubling of the design on the die and then imparted on each coin it strikes.
A Susan B. Anthony dollar with multiple strikes is worth at least $500.
Blank Planchets
How do you tell a blank Susan B. Anthony dollar planchet from that of any other coin? Quite simple… It’s the only United States coin made from copper-nickel clad that has a diameter of 26.5 millimeters and weight of 8.1 grams on a coin scale.
These Susan B. Anthony dollar blank planchet errors are worth at least $100.
With a price tag like that, do yourself a favor… If you’re looking to buy such a Susan B. Anthony dollar error coin, be sure to purchase it from a reputable coin dealer!
Off Center Strikes
Not too many Susan B. Anthony dollars were struck off center. Those that were are quite rare.
Most that do surface show an off-center strike of at least 5% to 10% and can range in value from $150 to $500 or more — depending on how drastically off center the strike is.
Broadstrikes
A broadstrike occurs when a coin isn’t retained inside its collar during striking. When this happens, the coin usually flattens out beyond its normal diameters and doesn’t have a formed rim.
Broadstruck Susan B. Anthony dollars generally lack a crisp rim and also don’t have their reeded edges.
These scarce errors are worth $50 to $100 apiece.
Wrong Planchets
These rare errors occur when a coin from the same- or smaller-sized denomination winds up getting struck with a design from a different denomination of a physically wider coin.
In the case of the Susan B. Anthony dollar, it’s possible for the design to have been struck on planchets from the Lincoln cent, Jefferson nickel, Roosevelt dime, Washington quarter, or the Sacagawea dollar. Planchets for the golden dollar (which debuted in 2000) were already on hand when the last Susan B. Anthony dollars rolled off the presses in 1999.
Extraordinarily rare errors, wrong planchet coins almost always trade for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. One 1999-P Susan B. Anthony dollar struck on a Sacagawea dollar planchet sold for $16,800 in 2020. Meanwhile, a 1979-S Susan B. Anthony dollar produced on a dime planchet fetched $10,062.50 in a 2004 auction.
