Eisenhower Dollarsare the last of the big and bold coins produced by the United States Mint for circulation. These coins never circulated widely in most of the United States. However, some were used in casinos on the West Coast. They were called"Ike Dollars" after the late president's popular nickname. Read on to learn more about the Ike Dollar, including the coin's silver dollar values spanning the 1970s.
Watch Now: 6 Interesting Facts About the Ike Dollar
History of the Eisenhower Dollar
The United States Mint minted Eisenhower Dollars from 1971 through 1978. This coin had many special strikings, in different finishes and compositions marketed primarily to collectors. Frank Gasparro designed the coin to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower and man's first moon landing in 1969. The obverse features a portrait bust of the late president facing right. The reverse is an adaptation of the official Apollo 11 mission insignia.
Tip
The 1972 Eisenhower silver dollar may hold the most value of all the coin's years. During its eight-year production run, the United States Mint modified the dies several times by changing the relief and strengthening some design elements. These changes to the 1972 Eisenhower silver dollar resulted in three different die varieties. One of them is rare and actively sought after by collectors.
According to the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) Price Guide, an Eisenhower dollar from 1972 in circulated condition is worth between $1.05 and $1.50, as of October 2022. However, on the open market, 1972 D Silver Dollars in perfect, uncirculated condition sell for up to $2,000.
A special reverse design was implemented to celebrate the nation's Bicentennial. The Treasury Secretary selected Dennis R. Williams' design featuring a rendition of the Liberty Bell superimposed on the moon. This reverse design celebrated the moon landings that had recently occurred and the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The mint began production of these dual-dated bicentennial coins of 1776-1976 in 1975 to meet the anticipated demand of collectors nationwide. Therefore, there are no Eisenhower dollars dated 1975.
Although Eisenhower dollars do not circulate anymore, people occasionally bring rolls of these coins into their local bank to exchange for paper money. Uncirculated coins sell for a premium over circulated coins; therefore, identifying key dates, rarities, andvarieties for Ike dollarsis an essential skill for serious coin collectors.
Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties
The following Eisenhower dollarscommand a small premium above the more common ones.
1972 Type II Reverse Uncirculated
The Philadelphia Mint created three different Eisenhower dollar reverses: Types I, II, and III. The second type is the hardest to acquire. The easiest way to recognize this coin is to look at the small image of the earth on the reverse. The coin is the rare Type II variety if the three islands below Florida are nonexistent.
1976 Bicentennial Type I andII Reverse
This coin is neither rare nor a key date, but there are two different varieties. Notice the difference in the thickness of the lettering in the United States of America. The reverse, which has thicker letters around the circumference of the coin, is Type I. These coins were minted in 1975 to produce more coins for the Bicentennial. The coins produced in 1976, Type II, had a narrow, thinner letter, which made them easier to produce.
Condition or Grade
If your coin is worn and exhibits evidence of circulation in commerce, it is considered acirculatedcoin. However, if your coin has no evidence of wear and its surfaces are pristine, you could have an uncirculated coin on your hands.
Mint Marks
The United States Mint produced Eisenhower (Ike) Dollars at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S). Themint markis located on theobverseof the coin, just below the truncation of President Eisenhower's portrait and just above the date.
Eisenhower Dollars Average Prices and Values
The following table lists thebuy price(what you can expect to pay a dealer to purchase the coin) and thesell value(what you can expect a dealer to pay you if you sell the coin). These are approximateretail pricesand wholesale values. The offer you receive from a particular coin dealer will vary depending on the coin's actual grade and otherfactors that determine its worth.
Date & Mint | Circ. Buy | Circ. Sell | Unc. Buy | Unc. Sell | |
1971 | $2.00 | F.V. | $5.50 | $4.00 | |
1971-D | $2.00 | F.V. | $5.50 | $4.00 | |
1971-S Silver | $7.00 | B.V. | $14.00 | $9.50 | |
1971-S Slv. Proof Proof | - | - | $14.00 | $10.50 | |
1971-S Slv. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $12.50 | |
1971-S Slv. Pr Deep Cameo Proof | - | - | $16.00 | $11.00 | |
1972 Type 1 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $16.00 | $12.00 | |
1972 Type 2 * | $20.00 | $17.50 | $110.00 | $95.00 | |
1972 Type 3 | $2.00 | $1.05 | $12.00 | $8.00 | |
1972-D | $2.00 | $1.05 | $4.30 | $3.00 | |
1972-S Silver | $7.00 | B.V. | $13.00 | $10.00 | |
1972-S Slv. Proof Proof | - | - | $14.00 | $12.00 | |
1972-S Slv. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $11.00 | |
1972-S Slv. Pr Deep Cameo Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $11.00 | |
1973 | $3.00 | $1.10 | $10.50 | $7.00 | |
1973-D | $3.00 | $1.10 | $9.70 | $7.00 | |
1973-S Silver | $7.00 | B.V. | $11.50 | $7.80 | |
1973-S Slv. Proof Proof | - | - | $13.00 | $9.40 | |
1973-S Slv. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $14.80 | $10.80 | |
1973-S Slv. Pr Deep Cameo Proof | - | - | $20.00 | $14.00 | |
1973-S Cl. Proof Proof | - | - | $7.50 | $5.50 | |
1973-S Cl. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $8.50 | $6.00 | |
1973-S Cl. Pr Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $11.50 | $8.00 | |
1974 | $2.00 | $1.10 | $6.00 | $3.50 | |
1974-D | $2.00 | $1.10 | $5.50 | $3.00 | |
1974-S Silver | $7.00 | B.V. | $12.00 | $8.00 | |
1974-S Slv. Proof Proof | - | - | $13.00 | $9.00 | |
1974-S Slv. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $10.00 | |
1974-S Slv. Pr Deep Cameo Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $11.00 | |
1974-S Cl. Proof Proof | - | - | $7.75 | $5.00 | |
1974-S Cl. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $8.00 | $5.75 | |
1974-S Cl. Pr Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $10.00 | $6.50 | |
Date & Mint | Circ. Buy | Circ. Sell | Unc. Buy | Unc. Sell | |
1976 Type 1 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $7.30 | $5.10 | |
1976 Type 2 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $4.70 | $3.40 | |
1976-D Type 1 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $6.10 | $4.40 | |
1976-D Type 2 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $4.80 | $3.30 | |
1976-S Cl. Pr Type 1 Proof | - | - | $7.20 | $5.20 | |
1976-S Cl. Pr Type 1 Cam Proof | - | - | $8.30 | $5.50 | |
1976-S Cl. Pr Type 1 Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $9.60 | $6.60 | |
1976-S Cl. Pr Type 2 Proof | - | - | $6.90 | $5.00 | |
1976-S Cl. Pr Type 2 Cam Proof | - | - | $7.60 | $5.60 | |
1976-S Cl. Pr Type 2 Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $8.80 | $6.20 | |
1976-S Silver | $6.70 | B.V. | $12.00 | $9.00 | |
1976-S Slv. Proof Proof | - | - | $13.20 | $9.00 | |
1976-S Slv. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $11.00 | |
1976-S Slv. Pr Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $15.00 | $10.00 | |
1977 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $4.70 | $3.20 | |
1977-D | $2.00 | $1.20 | $4.70 | $3.40 | |
1977-S Cl. Proof Proof | - | - | $7.30 | $5.10 | |
1977-S Cl. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $8.80 | $6.50 | |
1977-S Cl. Pr Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $10.30 | $7.10 | |
1978 | $2.00 | $1.20 | $4.00 | $2.90 | |
1978-D | $2.00 | $1.20 | $4.70 | $3.50 | |
1978-S Cl. Proof Proof | - | - | $8.50 | $5.70 | |
1978-S Cl. Pr Cameo Proof | - | - | $10.10 | $7.40 | |
1978-S Cl. Pr Deep Cam Proof | - | - | $11.00 | $7.30 | |
Complete Date-Mint Set Total Coins: 21 | $80.00 | $50.00 | $210.00 | $170.00 | |
Complete Date Set Total Coins: 7 | $20.00 | $12.00 | $45.00 | $30.00 |
B.V. = Bullion value(see: current intrinsic metal value of U.S. silver coins)
F.V. = Face value
- = Not Applicable or not enough data exists to calculate an average price
* = See the "Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties" section above for more information on these coins.