1979 Susan B Anthony Dollar Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?
This particular coin is often of high interest to coin collectors. It features Susan B Anthony, a very important woman in history on the obverse, which is less common. The designs of this coin are spectacular and interesting, as well. The 1979 Susan B Anothony value is not as grandiose as other coins, but for collectors, it’s an important piece of coin history.
The anticipation of the Susan B Anthony dollar was high among the public and collectors because she is a beloved historical and prominent figure. However, the hype of excitement for the public quickly disappeared when the coin first entered circulation.
This was due to the composition of the coin. The result was that people lost money using the coin because they confused it with a lower denomination. We’ll discuss this in greater detail in the article.
1979 Susan B Anthony Dollar Value Chart |
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| Series/Mint Mark | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated Condition | |
| 1979 P | 1.05 | 1.10 | 2 | 2.50 | |
| 1979 D | $1.05 | $1.10 | $2 | $2.50 | |
| 1979 S | $1.05 | $1.10 | $2 | $2.28 | |
| 1979 “P” Wide Rim | $6 | $10 | $30 | $67 | |
| 1979 Proof S Type 1 | – | – | – | $7.80 | |
| 1979 Proof S Type 2 | – | – | – | $55 | |
1979 P Susan B Anthony Dollar Value
The idea of this coined seemed to be a good one. People were excited about the new Susan B Anthony coin set to be released in 1979, so the government didn’t hold back on its production. Soon afterward, however, the likeness to the Washington quarter caused people to avoid the coin as it became a burden.
Still, in 1979 only, over 1 billion coins were produced. And among those 1 billion, there are six different kinds of SBA coins, which is unusual. There are two regular mint mark coins, “P” and “D”, and one silver series; “P” with a wider rim, and two different kinds of proof coins. Many coins don’t have more than three types, or maybe four including one proof.
The proof coins are created solely with the collectors in mind. They take longer to mint and have greater detail and are overall nicer to look at. Their value is often significantly higher than well-preserved but circulated, coins.
The coin was only minted for a couple of years in the Philadelphia Mint between 1979 and 1981. Then once more in 1999. In 1979, they produced little over 3.5 million individual coins. The obverse and reverse were designed by Frank Gasparro.
The composition of the 1979 Susan B Anthony coin is 75% copper with a 25% nickel center. It weighs 8.1 grams and has a diameter of 26.5 mm. The edge is reeded.
Let’s take a look at the design. The obverse features Susan B Anthony’s portrait, she appears to be looking to the (our right, her left) right, rather than being completely turned to the side, like most other coin portraits. The angle of this design is different than most other coins.
The upper part of her shoulders is also featured in the coin. Often the design ends where the shoulders begin. Her attire looks typical for women of her time. Same with the hairstyle, which is put in a bun behind her.
Above her head is the word “Liberty”, capitalized and written along the upper part of the rim. Underneath her shoulders is the year of the coin inscribed – “1979”. Next to her shin is the American motto “In God We Trust” written. The mint mark is located above the left-hand side shoulder, and right underneath the hair.
One of the most unusual and special aspects of the coins is the edges. An 11-sided polygonal shape is surrounding the entire coin. A typical coin is round all the way through. This polygonal shape adds depths and layers to the coin, which others simply do not achieve in the same way.
The SBA coins reverse also has a rather unusual design. In the center of the coin is an eagle carrying an olive sprig. There are several aspects of the design that are unusual, compared to eagles on other coins.
Similarly to the obverse, the angle of the bird is different. The eagle is landing and comes in at an angle. This also creates a sense of motion and depth to the coin.
Furthermore, the eagle is approaching its landing on the moon. We see the craters of the moon and behind the eagle, we see the earth. This symbolic moon landing by the eagle is alluding to the Apollo 11 moon landing 10 years prior.
The upper rim has the words “United States of America” alongside it, whereas the bottom one display the denomination of the coin – “One Dollar”. There are also starts on the reverse. They’re located in the shape of a circle surrounding the eagle where there is empty space.
As for the value of this coin, a circulated one-dollar coin is generally not worth much more than its face value. An “extremely fine” copy of the coin can double its value and reach 2 dollars.
Uncirculated coins have a value of around $2.30. However, there has been a case where an uncirculated 1979 Susan B Anthony coin was valued at $1.450
1979 D Susan B Anthony Dollar Value
The value of the Denver series is essentially the same as its Philadelphia counterpart. A highly graded, well-preserved coin will be worth, generally, around $2.
288,015,744 coins were produced in the Denver Mint. Coin production at the Denver Mint was quite successful and has hurt the D series’ value. Many collectors argue that the “D” is less valuable due to the lack of variation and errors during production within the series.
1979 P Wide Rim Susan B Anthony Dollar Value
During the minting process in Philadelphia, an error started to happen. Some coins were struck with the abnormally wide rim. The date was inscribed much closer to the edge of the coin than it was supposed to be.
Initially, this was not its own set of coins. But eventually, the Philadelphia Mint released a collector’s coin of the 1979 “P” Susan B Anthony series.
The wide-rim SBA coins are considered rare and have a higher value than the regular coin. A good-condition coin can be worth 10 – 70 dollars.
360,222,000 of these wide-rim Susan B Anthony coins were minted.
1979 S Susan B Anthony Dollar Value
The SBA “S” series is important for one specific historical reason. Up until this point, a coin minted in San Francisco was only proof coins and other types of coins intended for collection, rather than transactional currency.
In the year 1979, they started minting for commercial reasons, too. Therefore, the 1979 Susan B Anthony is the first of its kind. Unfortunately, the value of the SBA “S” is not increased by this fact. The value is the same for this version of the coin as the previous two coins we discussed so far.
1979 S Type 1 & 2 Susan B Anthony Dollar Value
Just like in Philadelphia, one of the proof types was created based on a mistake. Type 1 has a rather hazy and weak mint mark. This was due to a die issue they experience during production. The old die couldn’t produce a clearly defined mint mark.
Type 2 was then created when they replaced the die. The new die could mint coins with a much more pronounced mint mark. The total amount of S coins, type 1 and 2, produced was 3.677.175. Type 2 is the rare one out of the two but it’s unknown how many exist today
Their value can be anywhere between $50 – $80.
The reception of this coin was twofold in 1979. Collectors were thrilled about this new coin due to its design. The general public, on the other hand, was less happy with the coin. The main reason for this was the composition – namely, its size, weight, and silver color.
People mistook the Susan B Anthony (SBA) dollar for the Washington quarter coin due to its composition. Some gave the coin the nickname “Susan B Agony”, as it was an annoyance in everyday life to deal with this coin. People used and accepted the coin, mistakenly, as a quarter, resulting in financial losses too.
The life of this coin was short-lived and it was officially discontinued in 1999 but had disappeared from public life long before. The government pushed and advertised for the one-dollar coin, but the public disagreed with their efforts and preferred the one-dollar bill.
Throughout the years, the only real use for the Susan B Anthony coin was specific vending machines spread all over the country which accepted the coin as payment.
1979 Susan B Anthony Dollar Value Grading
Coin grading is a practice of looking at the overall quality of a coin to determine its worth. Experts look at very specific details on one exact type of coin when they’re analyzing them.
Once evaluated, the coin receives a grade. The basic range goes from “poor” to “uncirculated”. The former means the coin has been used and passed around so much it’s lost all the detail work.
The latter is the opposite. A coin that has never been used and has all its details intact and some of its inherent natural luster left. Within the grade, the scale is also even more detailed scales.
“Regular” coins are evaluated with MS (Mint state). The higher the better. Proof coins get on the PR scale. In both scales, the coins are graded between 60 – 70.
Rare 1979 Susan B Anthony Dollar Value Error List
There are a few interesting errors among the 1979 SBA coins to look out for.
1979 Susan B Anthony Blank Planchet Error
Some of these coins have the entire design missing. These coins are valued at around $100. With this particular coin, it’s important to only buy them from a reputable and reliable coin dealer.
You’d only know which coin series this belongs to based on its composition.
1979 Susan B Anthony Off-Center Strike
One rather common error during minting is the strike not hitting the planchet right in the center of the coin. This results in missing 10-20% of its design, which also is not in the center of the coin.
An off-center SBA coin can be worth between 150 – 500 dollars.
1979 Susan B Anthony Wrong Planchet Error
As the name would suggest, his error is one where the design of the SBA coin has been struck on a planchet note made for the SBA coin. These are by far the most valuable kind. These can, and have, been sold for an amount between $10.000 and $20.000.
1979 Susan B Anthony Dollar Value FAQ
How do I know if my Susan B Anthony dollar is worth anything?
The most reliable way to have your coin evaluated is to have it sent to a professional. You can also look for errors on the coin or see if there is anything unusual about it. If not, the value is not much more than its face value. If you find errors it can be worth up to thousands of dollars.
Difference between Susan B Anthony Dollar Type 1 and Type 2?
The difference is in the mint mark. Typ 1 has a weaker mark whereas Type 2 has a more prominent and noticeable mark.
