Susan B. Anthony Dollar Value: The $1 Coins Worth More Than a Dollar
Almost every SBA is worth exactly one dollar — except the 1979-P Wide Rim, anything dated 1981, and the Type 2 proof mintmarks. The five-second checks for each.
The Susan B. Anthony dollar might be America's most misunderstood coin: everyone who finds one assumes it's rare, and almost every one of them is worth exactly one dollar. But the series' short, awkward life created a handful of genuinely scarce versions — a rim variety worth a nice dinner, a pair of mintmark varieties collectors chase, and three whole years of coins that never reached circulation at all.
Why the SBA flopped — and why that matters
Launched in 1979 to replace the bulky Eisenhower dollar, the SBA was so close to quarter-sized that people spent them as quarters — and stopped using them entirely. The Mint struck over 750 million in 1979, a fraction of that in 1980, and by 1981 the coin was made only for collector mint sets. That collapse is exactly what created the collectible bits.
Value by year
| Issue (mintage) | Circulated | MS-63 | MS-65 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-P (360.2M) | $1 | $7 | $13 |
| 1979-P Wide Rim | $9+ | $40 | $55 |
| 1979-D (288.0M) | $1 | $5 | $13 |
| 1980-P (27.6M) | $1 | $5 | $8 |
| 1981-P (3.0M, mint sets only) | $2+ | $5 | $26 |
| 1981-S (3.5M, mint sets only) | $2+ | $7 | $45 |
| 1999-P (29.6M) | $1 | $6 | $9 |
Values shown match LuckyCoin's catalog at the time of writing. Click any issue for the full grade ladder and every year not shown here. Verify with current dealer pricing for any transaction.
The pattern: 1979 and 1980 circulation strikes are spend-it money unless they're pristine. The 1981 coins are the sleeper year — none were released to circulation, so any 1981 SBA came out of a mint set and carries a premium in every grade.
The 1979-P Wide Rim (Near Date)
Partway through 1979, Philadelphia modified the dies so the rim got wider and the date crowded toward the edge. On a Wide Rim, the date sits almost touching the rim; on the common Narrow Rim there's a clear gap. It takes five seconds to check and turns a $1 coin into roughly $9 circulated and $40+ in mint state — the single most findable SBA variety, since they did circulate.
Proof Type 1 vs Type 2 mintmarks
San Francisco proofs from 1979 and 1981 come with two different S mintmark punches. The early "Type 1" S is a filled, blobby punch; the replacement "Type 2" is clear and well-defined. The 1979-S Type 2 and 1981-S Type 2 proofs are the scarcer versions and command premiums over their Type 1 counterparts — check the mintmark under magnification against the coin pages, and see our mintmark guide for where to look.
What to do with a jar of SBAs
- Check every 1979-P date position — Wide Rims hide in circulation finds.
- Pull anything dated 1981 — mint-set-only year, premium in any grade.
- Keep uncirculated examples of any date; spend the rest guilt-free.
The nearly identical golden successor has its own valuable varieties — the Cheerios Sacagawea among them — and the same check-first advice applies. Our variety identification guide covers the general skill.
- Is a Susan B. Anthony dollar worth anything?
- Most are worth exactly one dollar. The exceptions: the 1979-P Wide Rim variety ($9+ circulated), anything dated 1981 (mint-set-only year), Type 2 proof mintmarks, and pristine uncirculated examples of any date.
- How do I spot the 1979-P Wide Rim?
- Look at the gap between the date and the rim on the obverse. Wide Rim: the date nearly touches the rim. Narrow Rim (common): a clear space. Only Philadelphia coins come both ways.
- Why are 1981 SBA dollars special?
- By 1981 the coin had failed in commerce, so the Mint struck it only for collector mint sets — around 3 million per facility, versus 360 million 1979-Ps. None entered circulation.
- Were any SBA dollars made of silver?
- No. Every Susan B. Anthony dollar is copper-nickel clad — the series has no silver issues, so there's no melt value to hunt.