1971 Silver Dollar Value

The standard 1971 silver dollar is worth around $13 in MS 63 choice uncirculated condition. In MS 65 gem uncirculated condition the price rises to around $18. The 1971 proof silver dollar is worth around $14 in PR 65 condition. There were 4,265,234 proof coins minted. Feb 01, 2021 Pre 1965 silver dimes, quarters, half dollars and silver dollars are all heavy with 90% silver and worth many times their face value. With today's high value of silver; $29.48 per ounce as of 2/1/2021 your old silver dollars are becoming surprisingly valuable.

1. 1971 Silver Dollar Value Chart

Like Ike? Plenty of coin collectors do! A growing number of numismatists are building sets of Eisenhower dollars.

Find the current Ike Dollar values by year, coin varieties, and specific grade. 1971-S Silver CAM. .1971 dollars: As it happens, you posted this question on the page that discusses values of 1971 Eisenhower silver dollars; A 1971-S 40 percent silver Eisenhower dollar is worth about $8 to $10. Perhaps you have a 1971-D (Denver) Eisenhower dollar? Or one without a mintmark at all?

Read below for a full list of Eisenhower dollar prices.

The Eisenhower dollar was struck from 1971 through 1978 and was intended for regular commerce. Ultimately it failed to see the light of day as a circulating coin beyond the casinos of Las Vegas.

Few people knew back in the 1970s that the Eisenhower dollar would be the last circulating large-size dollar coin in the United States.

Today, it's become one of the top modern collectible coins, and for good reason. Ike dollars constitute a relatively short series with many unusual varieties to collect.

What Are Eisenhower Dollars Worth?

Eisenhower dollars appeal to collectors on a variety of budgets. Many pieces challenge even financially well-heeled collectors. Prices for some key date Ike dollars reach into the thousands of dollars.

Nonetheless, the majority of Eisenhower dollars are much more affordable to obtain. What follows is an Eisenhower dollar price guide. The values reflect examples in MS-63 (uncirculated) and Proof-65 grades.

Eisenhower Dollar Price Chart

All the values listed above represent typical specimens. These have regular surface quality for their respective grades and conditions.

Better pieces command significantly higher premiums than the prices listed above. This is due to the difficulty of locating Eisenhower dollars (mainly clad business strikes) with few marks.

How the Eisenhower Dollar Was Created

United States Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro created the coin's design. The first Eisenhower dollars were struck in 1971.

Cupro-nickel clad versions were produced at the Philadelphia and Denver Mint for circulation. Meanwhile, 40% silver examples were made in San Francisco as proofs for collectors.

Copper-nickel S-mint proofs didn't come around until 1973. This was the first year that regular uncirculated sets and proof sets included the Eisenhower dollar.

In 1975, the U.S. Mint began producing special commemorative circulating Eisenhower dollars honoring the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

These Bicentennial dollars showcase a dual-dating feature declaring 1776–1976 on the obverse. The reverse design by Dennis Williams features the Liberty Bell superimposed on the Moon.

The standard Eisenhower dollar reverse and obverse dating resumed in 1977. Yet the end was in sight for the coin in 1978.

The public deemed the Eisenhower dollar too large. Americans were unwilling to carry large numbers of the heavy dollar coins during a period of runaway inflation.

40% Silver Eisenhower Dollar

The large dollar coin had failed to circulate well and was thus retired before 1979. This was when the Susan B. Anthony dollar, also designed by Gasparro, entered circulation.

However, the Susan B. Anthony dollar never caught on with the public, either. It was retired shortly after that in 1981. It returned for a one-year stint a general later in 1999 before being put out to numismatic pasture for good.

Collecting Eisenhower Dollars

The vast majority of hobbyists who collect Eisenhower dollars aim to complete a 32-coin set. It consists of all the regular-issue business-strike and proof coins. This includes the 40% silver Ikes dated 1971-S, 1972-S, 1973-S, 1974-S, and 1976-S.

Tricky Ikes: Only a small percentage of the total Eisenhower dollar mintage is 40% silver. Image source: Reddit user rddt1983

Such a set can be completed with coins in typical uncirculated and proof grades for less than $500. That includes the 40% silver key dates mentioned above.

Collectors with deeper pockets will add a much more expensive dimension to their Ike dollar objectives. They often pursue each of the regular-issue clad coins in Gem grades. They target proofs that grade Proof-67 or higher. Many will also seek the abundance of scarce varieties known for this series.

Surprisingly, clad business strikes in grades of MS-65 to MS-66 or better are among the most valuable Eisenhower dollars. There are few such Ikes that grade MS-68 or better.

The United States Mint took little care in handling or transporting these large, heavy circulating dollar coins. Understanding this, it becomes clearer why clad Ikes in Gem condition are so tough to locate. Most of the rarest Gem examples trade for more than $1,000 today.

Eisenhower Proofs

Top-end proofs are not nearly as rare as their high-grade clad business-strike counterparts. They are tough to find with full cameo frosting, however. The 40% silver Ikes are among the easiest examples to find in grades of Proof-69 or Proof-70.

Meanwhile, deep cameo contrast is most common on the 1977-S and 1978-S Eisenhower dollars. This originated from a period when deep cameo frosting was becoming more the norm rather than the exception for U.S. proof coinage.

1972 Eisenhower Variety

Image: USA CoinBook

The Eisenhower dollar boasts a wide array of varieties. Those who collect design varieties have plenty to love.

The most popular varieties are found among 1972 Ikes. It showcases at least three different versions of planet Earth on the reverse design.

• Type I is a relatively low-relief variety showing three islands to the right of Florida.

• Type II, the scarcest of these three varieties, shows no islands below Florida. (Water lines are in their place instead.)

• Type III shows three islands below and to the left of Florida.

Clearly, there are some geography issues at hand with these varieties. They keep collectors busy!

Several other exciting oddities are out there. This includes various doubled dies and the rare 1974-D and 1977-D 40% silver transitional wrong-metal strikes.

There are numerous avenues in the Eisenhower dollar series that one can take. So many collectors have devoted their entire numismatic careers just to the Eisenhower dollar.

These modern clad coins offer a multitude of rewarding opportunities for collecting, research, and discovery—enough to satisfy even the most passionate of dedicated collectors for a lifetime!

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez is a journalist, editor, and blogger who has won multiple awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. He has also authored numerous books, including works profiling the history of the United States Mint and United States coinage.

More from the author:

The US Mint made more than 170 million Eisenhower dollars in 1972. Only around two million of them were silver, with the rest being copper-nickel clad. Even though copper-nickel clad 1972 dollars don’t contain silver, some are still worth significant money due to their numismatic value.

The Various Types of 1972 Dollars

1972 Eisenhower silver dollar, Type II. Image: USA CoinBook

The United States Mint produced four distinct types of copper-nickel clad 1972 dollars, as well as two in 40% silver. Here’s a further rundown on the six types of 1972 dollars:

• 1972 Copper-Nickel Clad, Variety 1
• 1972 Copper-Nickel Clad, Variety 2
• 1972 Copper-Nickel Clad, Variety 3
• 1972-D Copper-Nickel Clad
• 1972-S 40% Silver Clad
• 1972-S 40% Silver Clad Proof

Note that there are no 1972-S copper-nickel clad proofs. Dollars were not included in proof sets until 1973.

Both types of 1972-S Eisenhower silver dollars were packaged individually for sale to collectors. The 40% silver proof Ikes. are commonly referred to as “Brown Ikes” or “Brown Pack Ikes.” Their original government packaging is a brown-colored faux wood grain cardboard box.

The 40% silver uncirculated Eisenhower dollars are often dubbed “Blue Ikes” or “Blue Pack Ikes.” They were protected by heat-sealed plastic packaging and shipped in blue-colored outer paper envelopes.

Many 40% silver Eisenhower dollars have been broken out of their original government packaging. Some were placed in albums, while others have been graded by coin grading services. Even so, enough silver 1972 Eisenhowers remain in their packaging to meet demand. Therefore, there is presently not a standard markup for these pieces. As time goes on and more are broken out of their holders, Brown Ikes and Blue Ikes still in their original government packaging may earn premiums.

The Three Types of Philadelphia 1972 Clad Eisenhower Dollars

Let’s get back to those three 1972 Eisenhower dollar varieties for a moment… What makes them different from each other?

The three differences are all found on the coin's reverse. The reverse design, by Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro, incorporates the Apollo 11 insignia. You’ll note that the planet Earth is visible in the design above the eagle’s head and right wing. You'll further see geographical details of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

The accuracy—or relative lack thereof—in the appearance of Florida and the Caribbean islands is what sets the three types apart.

• Type 1 – The island of Cuba, seen below a stumpy peninsula of Florida, appears as a tear-drop blob rather than the crescent-shaped peninsula that it is. Another notable diagnostic of the Type 1 is the coin’s overall strike, which is rather soft and results in a low-relief appearance.

• Type 2 – The Type 2 is the scarcest of the three copper-nickel 1972 Ike dollar varieties. It shows Florida appearing more like a triangular funnel, while the Caribbean islands are faint in appearance.

• Type 3 – This is the most geographically correct design of the three, showing Florida with more coastal detail on its west side. Cuba appears truer to form as a crescent-shaped island, and the islands of Hispaniola and Jamaica to the east and south of Cuba are more distinct.

All 1972 Philadelphia-strike Eisenhower dollars will fall into one of these three varieties. The Type 1 and Type 3 prove to be the most common, and the Type 2 being remarkably scarce. Perhaps only 1 in 32 of the 1972 Philadelphia-minted Ikes can be attributed as a Type 2.

What’s A 1972 Eisenhower Dollar Worth?

Values range from anywhere between a few cents over face value to thousands of dollars. Of course, that’s not the vague answer you came here for. You’re going to need to know what type of 1972 Eisenhower dollar you have, as well as if it is a 40% silver Eisenhower dollar or copper-nickel clad one.

All 1972 40% silver Ikes have an “S” mintmark just below Eisenhower’s neck on the obverse. Suppose your Eisenhower dollar has either a “D” mintmark or no mintmark. In that case, your 1972 Ike dollar is not silver. No further testing or inspection of the coin by a coin dealer or bullion expert is necessary. In the case of 1972 Eisenhower dollars, it’s quite simple—no “S” mintmark, no silver!

Next is determining whether your 1972-S dollar has a proof or uncirculated finish. In the case of a 1972-S 40% silver Eisenhower dollar, this will have little bearing on the coin’s value in most cases. But it’s still important to know whether you have a proof or business strike.

Proofs boast a mirror-like surface, whereas business strikes have a satiny appearance. This is the primary aesthetic difference between proof and uncirculated 1972-S Ikes. However, the details of a proof Eisenhower dollar are much stronger and distinct than on an uncirculated strike. This is true for both silver and clad proofs.

Ready to find out what your 1972 Eisenhower dollar is worth? By this point you have learned the difference between the three types of 1972 Philadelphia Eisenhower dollars, as well as between 1972-S proof and uncirculated Ikes. The 1972-D Eisenhower dollars speak for themselves. They’re all clad, with no known major varieties.

1972 Eisenhower Silver Dollar: Current Prices

*Values are for problem-free coins that serve as typical representatives for their grade. The information on this page does not constitute an offer to buy or sell the coin(s) referred to.

The 1972 Eisenhower dollar values above show that even circulated versions of the 1972 Type 2 clad dollar are worth looking for and saving. Contrary to the widely held notion that worn clad coins are worthless, this isn’t true in all cases—especially for errors and varieties.

Still, the silver Ikes are the ones that hold the most value across the board. 40% silver Eisenhower dollars have long been popular with silver stackers and other types of bullion investors.

For more information on buying and selling 1972 silver dollars, please contact Gainesville Coins.

Joshua McMorrow-Hernandez is a journalist, editor, and blogger who has won multiple awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. He has also authored numerous books, including works profiling the history of the United States Mint and United States coinage.

More coin value articles from the author:

1971 Silver Dollar Value Chart