Most Susan B. Anthony dollars are worth exactly one dollar — but a small handful of varieties, condition rarities, and wrong-planchet errors command premiums from $45 to $21,600. This guide covers every business strike, proof, and major error in the series, with grade-by-grade values drawn from PCGS, NGC, Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers, and Greysheet. If you have a 1979-P, a 1981 business strike, or a coin that looks golden rather than silver, read this before you spend it or sell it.
For the vast majority of owners, the answer is one dollar. The U.S. Mint struck more than 757 million Susan B. Anthony dollars in 1979 alone, and hundreds of millions sat undisturbed in Federal Reserve vaults for decades — meaning circulated examples of every regular date and mint mark are worth face value. That said, a short list of issues genuinely matters: the 1979-P Wide Rim (Near Date) is worth $5–$8 worn and up to $2,500 in MS67; the 1979-S Type 2 'Clear S' Proof trades at $45–$110 in top grades; the 1981-S Type 2 'Flat S' Proof reaches $270 in PR70 DCAM; and the three 1981 business strikes (P, D, and S, all struck only for Mint Sets) are the series' key dates for condition collectors, with the sole NGC MS67+ 1981-S business strike having sold for $21,600 at Heritage Auctions on October 9, 2022 — the all-time auction record for any regular-issue SBA dollar.
One critical fact before anything else: no Susan B. Anthony dollar contains silver. Every business strike and proof in the series is copper-nickel clad over a pure copper core, with a melt value of roughly 10 cents. If a coin looks golden rather than silvery, it is almost certainly a privately gold-plated novelty worth face value — unless it is a genuine 1999-P struck on a Sacagawea manganese-brass planchet, in which case authentication by PCGS or NGC is essential before assigning any value. For the most current independent grade-by-grade pricing across the full series, Coins-Value.com's Susan B. Anthony dollar reference is the most current independent source.
Value Reference Table
Values in this table come from the PCGS Price Guide (CoinFacts), Greysheet CPG, and named realized prices from Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers, and GreatCollections. Retail and wholesale spreads typically range 30–50% for common dates; for condition rarities (MS67+, PR70 DCAM), realized auction prices are cited directly. Proof grades are presented in the 'Uncirculated' and 'Gem Unc' columns as PR67–68 and PR69–70 DCAM equivalents respectively. Color designation (BN/RB/RD) does not apply to this series — all SBAs are copper-nickel clad.
| Year / Variety | Good (G-4) | Fine (F-12) | XF (40-45) | Uncirculated (MS-60 to MS-63 / PR-67–68) | Gem Unc (MS-65+ / PR-69–70 DCAM) | Auction Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-P Wide Rim (Near Date) FS-301 | $5 | $5–$7 | $6–$10 | $20–$30 (MS63) | $45–$65 (MS65); $150–$400 (MS66); ~$2,500 (MS67) | $6,995 — NGC MS67+, eBay, Dec 30, 2021 |
| 1981-S Business Strike (NIFC) | $4 | $4 | $5 | $40 (MS64) | $42 (MS65); $500 (MS66); MS67 near-unobtainable | $21,600 — NGC MS67+, Heritage, Oct 9, 2022 |
| 1981-S Type 2 Proof (Flat S, bulbous serifs) | — | — | — | $60 (PR68) | $80 (PR69); ~$270 (PR70 DCAM) | $5,463 — Heritage, May 1, 2007 |
| 1979-S Type 2 Proof (Clear S) | — | — | — | $30 (PR68) | $45 (PR69); $60–$110 (PR70 DCAM) | ~$1,955, May 2007 |
| 1981-P Business Strike (NIFC) | $3 | $3 | $3.50 | $7–$10 | $15 (MS65); $50–$65 (MS66); ~$375 (MS67) | $3,220 — Heritage, Dec 2007 (MS67, sole pop 21) |
| 1981-D Business Strike (NIFC) | $3 | $3 | $3.50 | $5–$8 | $15 (MS65); $25–$30 (MS66); ~$375 (MS67) | $2,938 — Heritage, Jan 2017 (sole MS68) |
| 1980-P | FV | $1 | $1.50 | $3–$5 | $20 (MS65); $185 (MS67) | $4,600 — Heritage, Apr 2008 (MS68) |
| 1979-S Business Strike | FV | $1 | $1.25 | $3–$5 | $30 (MS65); $150 (MS67); $425 (MS67+) | $5,175 — Heritage, 2007 (MS68) |
| 1999-P Business Strike | FV | $1 | $2 | $4–$5 | $10–$20 (MS65); $65 (MS67) | $1,800+ (MS68, PCGS guide) |
| 1980-S Business Strike | FV | $1.25 | $2 | $5 | $30 (MS65); $520 (MS67, PCGS guide) | $960 — Heritage, Jun 2022 (MS67) |
| 1999-D Business Strike | FV | $1 | $2 | $3–$5 | $10 (MS65); $50 (MS67) | $1,020 — Heritage, Oct 2020 (MS68, Maltese Collection) |
| 1999-P Proof DCAM | — | — | — | $20–$25 (PR68) | $28 (PR69 DCAM); ~$90 (PR70 DCAM) | $575 (Feb 2007, outlier) |
| 1980-D | FV | $1 | $1.50 | $3–$5 | $20 (MS65); $899 (MS67, eBay May 2022) | $720 — Stack's Bowers, Jun 2023 (NGC MS68, toned) |
| 1979-D | FV | $1 | $1.25 | $3–$5 | $25 (MS65); ~$350 (MS67) | $1,528 — Heritage, Jan 2017 (sole MS68, Mile High Collection) |
| 1981-S Type 1 Proof (Rounded S) | — | — | — | $3–$5 (PR68) | $7 (PR69); $25–$50 (PR70 DCAM) | insufficient data |
| 1980-S Proof | — | — | — | $4–$6 (PR68) | $8 (PR69); $25–$50 (PR70 DCAM) | insufficient data |
| 1979-S Type 1 Proof (Filled S) | — | — | — | $3–$5 (PR68) | $7 (PR69); $50–$60 (PR70 DCAM) | insufficient data |
| 1979-P Narrow Rim (Far Date) | FV | $1 | $1.50 | $2–$5 | $25–$30 (MS65); ~$200–$225 (MS67) | $3,819 — Heritage, Jan 8, 2014 (MS65) |
Cells showing 'insufficient data' reflect grades for which no verified public sale or PCGS guide entry was available at research time. For complete grade-by-grade pricing on every Susan B. Anthony dollar variety, Coins-Value.com's Susan B. Anthony dollar reference is the most current independent source. Cross-check any figure older than six months against the live PCGS Price Guide before relying on it for a transaction.
Historical Context
The Susan B. Anthony dollar was authorized by Public Law 95-447, signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 10, 1978. Designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro — whose initials 'FG' appear below Anthony's shoulder on the obverse — it was the first regularly circulating U.S. coin to depict an actual historical woman rather than an allegorical figure, and the first small-size dollar struck for general circulation. The reverse adapts the Apollo 11 mission insignia used on the Eisenhower dollar: an eagle descending onto the lunar surface with Earth in the background.
The coin also broke a long-standing mint-mark tradition. Because Philadelphia business strikes had never borne a mint mark, the 1979-P SBA became the first non-wartime U.S. coin struck at Philadelphia to carry a 'P' mint mark — a practice quickly extended to nearly every other denomination above the cent. Congress passed the enabling legislation 368–38 in the House and unanimously in the Senate (per the Congressional Record, Vol. 124), yet the coin became a commercial failure almost immediately. The vending-machine industry had lobbied against any non-round shape; the Mint compromised by stamping an 11-sided inner border on a round, quarter-sized coin that was nearly identical in color and diameter to the Washington quarter. The public called it the 'Carter Quarter' and 'Agony Dollar' and returned it to banks by the millions.
Mintage figures tell the story of that failure. Philadelphia alone struck 360,222,000 coins in 1979; Denver added 288,015,744 and San Francisco contributed 109,576,000 for circulation. By 1980, total production had fallen sharply, and by 1981 the Treasury suspended circulation strikes entirely. The 1981 coins — roughly three million each at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — were struck only for inclusion in U.S. Mint Uncirculated Sets, never released through banks. These 'NIFC' (Not Issued For Circulation) issues are the series' scarcest business strikes, and the Treasury was sitting on a surplus of 520,000,000 unspent coins in 1981, equal to roughly 60% of the entire 1979–81 output, according to CoinWeek and Wikipedia's sourced U.S. Mint figures.
The series had a brief epilogue. In 1999 the Federal Reserve's stockpile of dollar coins — used in vending machines and mass transit systems — was unexpectedly depleted before the new Sacagawea 'golden dollar' came online in 2000. The Mint resumed production at Philadelphia (29,592,000 business strikes, 749,090 proofs) and Denver (11,776,000 business strikes). San Francisco did not participate; there is no 1999-S Susan B. Anthony dollar. The 1999-P proof carries the distinction of being the first proof of a circulating U.S. coin struck at Philadelphia since 1964 — only the second proof coin to bear a 'P' mint mark, per a Coin World analysis by Paul Gilkes (August 11, 2003), the other being the 1942-P Jefferson nickel.
Key Dates & Varieties
The full SBA series contains only 18 distinct regular issues — but the difference in value between a common 1979-P Narrow Rim and a conditionally rare 1981-S business strike spans four orders of magnitude. Mintage figures throughout this section come from U.S. Mint records as cited by PCGS CoinFacts and CoinWeek. Values reflect the PCGS Price Guide, Greysheet CPG, and realized prices from Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers; retail and wholesale can diverge by 30–50% for common dates.
The Wide Rim variety — also catalogued by PCGS as FS-301 — emerged when the Mint modified its working dies partway through the 1979-P run. The telltale feature is a thick, rounded rim that causes the date '1979' to nearly touch the inner edge of the coin's 11-sided border. On the far more common Narrow Rim, there is an obvious gap. CoinWeek estimates only about 20,000–25,000 Wide Rim coins survive, a small fraction of the 360-million-plus 1979-P total.
Values rise sharply with grade: circulated examples fetch $5–$8 retail; MS63 brings $20–$30; MS65 reaches $45–$65; MS66 jumps to $150–$400; and MS67 has traded as high as $4,406 at Heritage Auctions in 2013. The all-time auction record is $6,995 for an NGC MS67+ example sold on eBay on December 30, 2021 — a result recorded on PCGS CoinFacts #99571. Any Wide Rim above MS65 should be authenticated and graded by PCGS or NGC before sale.
PCGS describes the 1981-P as 'the key date in the whole Susan B. Anthony Dollar series,' but for condition rarity the 1981-S business strike may be the toughest coin in the series to find at the top of the grade scale. Struck only for inclusion in 1981 U.S. Mint Uncirculated Sets, the coin was never released through banks. The soft cellophane packaging of those sets produced widespread bag marks, holding most examples at MS64–MS66. PCGS population at MS67 stands at roughly three certified examples, with none finer at PCGS — and NGC holds the single unique MS67+ coin in the series.
That NGC MS67+ sold for $21,600 at Heritage Auctions' Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature Auction #1340, October 9, 2022 — the all-time auction record for any regular-strike Susan B. Anthony dollar. At MS66, the PCGS guide lists $500. MS64, the grade most set-filler examples reach, trades at about $40. A raw coin that looks fully MS66 or better is a strong candidate for PCGS or NGC submission.
The 1981-S proof set contains two distinct mint-mark punches. The Type 1 — struck from the same well-defined punch used since late 1979 — is the clear, rounded 'S' that makes up roughly 83% of the 4,063,083 total proofs. The Type 2 was introduced only in the closing weeks of 1981: it has a flat-topped 'S' with a grainy surface texture and noticeably protruding bulbous serifs, with the top serif being the more pronounced of the two. This is the single most-misattributed coin in the SBA series — many sellers list any 1981-S proof with a clear 'S' as 'Type 2.' The correct Type 2 is the one that looks worn-down and rough, not crisp.
The lower mintage and persistent misidentification make this the proof series' key date. PR68 DCAM trades around $60; PR69 DCAM reaches approximately $80 on the PCGS Price Guide; PR70 DCAM is listed at roughly $270. The auction record is $5,463 at Heritage Auctions on May 1, 2007 — recorded on PCGS Auction Prices for PCGS #99595. PCGS notes that all SBA proof dollars are Deep Cameo, so earlier certifications without the DCAM designation are simply holdovers from before PCGS formalized that label.
The 1979-S proof was struck with two different mint-mark punches. The Type 1 ('Filled S' / 'Blob S') was used from roughly July through October 1979 and accounts for about 80% of total proofs — its mint mark is a thick, mushy rectangle with almost no internal definition because the punch was worn. The Type 2 ('Clear S') was introduced in November–December 1979 and shows a sharp, well-defined 'S' with visible serifs, resembling a clean figure 8 with two clear openings.
Type 1 in PR69 DCAM is worth $7; in PR70 DCAM it reaches $50–$60. Type 2 commands real premiums: PR69 DCAM trades at approximately $45; PR70 DCAM has sold for $60–$110 in the current market, with a high-water auction record of roughly $1,955 in May 2007 per CoinValueChecker. For a coin that looks identical to the common Type 1 at a glance, attribution at 10x magnification is the one critical step.
PCGS explicitly designates the 1981-P as 'the key date in the whole Susan B. Anthony Dollar series' for business strikes. Struck only for 1981 Mint Sets and never released into circulation, it combines a mintage of roughly 3,000,000 with the contact-damage realities of Mint Set cellophane packaging. MS65 retails around $15; MS66 reaches $50–$65.
MS67 is the wall: PCGS Pop lists only 21 examples at that grade, with none higher. The auction record at MS67 is $3,220 at Heritage Auctions in December 2007 — a record that has held for nearly two decades, suggesting the PCGS Pop at MS67 has grown very slowly since then. Raw examples that look fully MS65 or better should be submitted to PCGS or NGC before sale.
The 1981-D shares the same NIFC backstory as the 1981-P and 1981-S: struck exclusively for Mint Sets, never released through banks, and subject to the same cellophane-damage grading ceiling. MS65 trades at about $15; MS66 retails around $25–$30; MS67 reaches approximately $375 on the PCGS guide.
The sole PCGS MS68 — finest known across both PCGS and NGC — sold for $2,938 at Heritage Auctions in January 2017 from the Mile High Collection. That coin remains unique at that grade, making it a registry trophy for the series. Any 1981-D that looks fully MS66 or above under strong lighting is worth a professional opinion before spending.
The Narrow Rim (Far Date) accounts for the overwhelming majority of the 360,222,000 1979-P total — possibly more than 99% of surviving coins. In any circulated grade, it is worth face value ($1.00). Even in average uncirculated grades (MS60–MS63), retail value is $2–$5. The coin only becomes interesting in the condition-rarity sense at MS66 ($25–$30) and above.
MS67 examples trade at $200–$225 on the PCGS Price Guide, reflecting genuine scarcity at that level despite the enormous original mintage — a consequence of the violent bag-mark environment of Mint production in 1979. The lesson here: just because a coin was common in pocket change does not mean a fully struck, mark-free gem is easy to find.
The 1980-S holds the lowest mintage of any SBA business strike produced in the 1979–1980 period — lower than the 1980-P (27,610,000) and the 1980-D (41,628,708) — yet it tends to be overlooked in favor of the flashier 1981 NIFC dates. That makes it something of a sleeper. Common in circulated grades (face value) and abundant through MS65 (~$30), it becomes genuinely scarce at MS67.
An MS67 example brought $960 at Heritage Auctions in June 2022 — a result recorded by CoinValueChecker. The PCGS Price Guide lists MS67 at approximately $520. For a business-strike 1980-S with full cartwheel luster and a clean cheek, professional grading at PCGS or NGC makes financial sense if the coin looks MS66 or better.
The 1980-P is common through MS65 (roughly $20 retail) and becomes scarce at MS67 (approximately $185 on the PCGS guide). The grade ceiling is well established: three examples have been certified at MS68 across PCGS and NGC, with none higher. The sole confirmed MS68 Heritage sale — $4,600 in April 2008 — more than doubled the then-current PCGS guide value of $2,200, suggesting the market recognized the rarity of the grade tier ahead of the published price guides. That 2008 record has since aged, and current MS68 values should be checked against live PCGS and NGC population and auction data.
The 1980-D is the highest-mintage coin of the 1980 production year and, predictably, common in all circulated grades (face value) and abundant through MS65 ($20). MS67 examples are scarce but not extraordinary: one sold for $899 on eBay in May 2022 (recorded by PCGS), and a separately certified NGC MS68 with attractive toning realized $720 at Stack's Bowers in June 2023, per a CoinWeek market report.
The toned NGC MS68 is a reminder that authentic rainbow toning on SBA dollars — a genuine phenomenon on this series — can attract significant collector premiums, but only in PCGS- or NGC-certified holders. Unslabbed toned coins carry real risk of artificial toning, which PCGS and NGC detect and which eliminates any premium.
The 1979-D is common in all circulated grades (face value) and abundant through MS65 ($25 retail). MS67 is worth approximately $350 on the PCGS guide. The sole certified MS68 — from the Mile High Collection, attributed to PCGS — sold for $1,528 at Heritage Auctions in January 2017. As with all 1979–1980 business strikes, bag marks on Anthony's cheek are the primary obstacle to high-grade certification.
The 1979-S business strike sits between the common P and D coins and the scarce 1980-S in terms of mintage, but it is genuinely tough at the MS68 level. The authenticated high-grade record is $5,175 at Heritage Auctions in 2007 for a PCGS MS68, per CoinValueChecker citing Heritage. A separately reported NGC-Genuine example sold for $15,000 on eBay on September 17, 2021 — but 'NGC Genuine' is a no-numerical-grade designation typically indicating cleaning or an unusual attribution, and PCGS explicitly disclaims responsibility for eBay listing accuracy; treat that figure as an outlier rather than a market benchmark.
MS65 retails around $30; MS67+ has traded at approximately $425 on the PCGS guide. For a coin in this mintage range, an MS67 or better example is worth professional grading before sale.
The 1999-P business strike is common in circulated grades (face value) and available in MS65 for $10–$20. However, the series' 1999 coins were produced in smaller quantities than the 1979–1980 issues and with somewhat tighter quality standards — so the condition-rarity cliff comes earlier. MS67 retails around $65; MS68 is listed at $1,800–$1,920 on the PCGS Price Guide, reflecting genuine rarity at that tier.
The 1999-P is also the host for the series' most famous error: coins accidentally struck on Sacagawea manganese-brass planchets, which appear golden in color and weigh approximately 8.07 grams. Those wrong-planchet errors are covered separately in the errors section below.
The 1999-D has the second-lowest business-strike mintage in the series after the three 1981 NIFC dates, yet it trades at relatively modest premiums in most grades: face value circulated, $10 in MS65, approximately $50 in MS67. The MS68 level tells a different story: the sole certified example — from the 'Maltese Collection' — sold for $1,020 at Heritage Auctions in October 2020, per CoinValueChecker. San Francisco did not participate in the 1999 production run; any coin labeled '1999-S SBA' is misidentified.
The 1999-P proof holds two distinctions: it has the lowest mintage of any SBA proof (749,090, compared to more than 3.5 million for most proof-year issues), and it was the first proof of a regularly circulating U.S. coin struck at Philadelphia since 1964 — only the second proof coin to bear a 'P' mint mark, the other being the 1942-P Jefferson nickel, per Coin World (Paul Gilkes, August 11, 2003).
Despite those historical firsts, market premiums are modest: PR69 DCAM trades at approximately $28 on the PCGS guide; PR70 DCAM reaches around $90. An outlier auction record of $575 was reported in February 2007, but current market data reflects more subdued demand. These proofs were sold individually by the Mint in blue velvet presentation cases — not as part of a standard proof set — and many examples are well-preserved as a result.
The Type 1 is the vastly more common of the two 1979-S proof varieties, accounting for roughly 80% of the 3,677,175 total proofs struck at San Francisco that year. Its defining feature is a thick, mushy mint mark with little internal definition — the result of a worn die punch used from approximately July through October 1979. In PR69 DCAM, value is $7; in PR70 DCAM, $50–$60. Both grades are far less than the Type 2 (Clear S) premiums, confirming that the mint-mark distinction is the only thing separating a $7 coin from a $45–$110 one.
The 1981-S Type 1 is the clear, well-defined 'S' carried over from the 1979-S Type 2 punch and used on all 1980-S proofs. It accounts for approximately 83% of the 4,063,083 total 1981-S proofs. In PR69 DCAM it is worth $7–$10; in PR70 DCAM, $25–$50. The key distinction from the far scarcer Type 2: the Type 1 has a smooth-surfaced 'S' with modest serifs, while the Type 2 has a flat top, grainy texture, and pronounced bulbous serifs. Do not confuse 'clear S' with 'Type 2' on the 1981-S — here, Type 1 is the clear one.
All 1980-S proofs use the clear 'S' punch introduced in November 1979 — there is no Type 1 / Type 2 distinction for the 1980-S. In PR69 DCAM the coin trades at $8–$10; PR70 DCAM reaches $25–$50. A separately documented Repunched Mintmark (RPM) variety — with a secondary 'S' visible to the lower-left of the primary — was noted by Q. David Bowers and trades in the $100–$500 range depending on clarity and certification, per the 'Fun Times Guide' and CoinValueChecker.
If you're staring at a Susan B. Anthony dollar and can't tell the Wide Rim from the Narrow Rim, or aren't sure whether your 1981-S proof is Type 1 or Type 2, the Assay app can help you get oriented quickly. Photograph the obverse and reverse, and Assay returns a structured identification with per-field confidence labels — high, medium, or low — so you know exactly which features it is certain about and which ones it wants you to confirm. It then assigns your coin to one of four condition buckets (Well Worn, Lightly Worn, Almost New, or Mint Condition), shows you a Low / Typical / High price range for that condition, and delivers a Keep / Sell / Grade verdict. Counterfeit-risk flags and per-coin authentication tips surface automatically for issues that warrant them.
Assay covers 20,000+ U.S. and Canadian coins, including the full Susan B. Anthony dollar series with its varieties and proof types. It runs on iOS and Android, includes a permanently free Manual Lookup that works entirely offline, and offers a 7-day free trial of the AI scan feature, followed by $9.99/month or $59.99/year.
Errors and Varieties
The SBA series has fewer famous die varieties than the Lincoln cent or Roosevelt dime, but the wrong-planchet errors — particularly the 1999-P struck on a Sacagawea manganese-brass planchet — are among the most important transitional errors in modern U.S. coinage. Authentication by PCGS or NGC is essential for any coin presented as an error; a significant majority of raw 'error' SBA dollars on eBay turn out to be post-mint damage, machine doubling, or normal die deterioration, none of which carry numismatic value.
This is the headline error of the series. In late 1999, Sacagawea dollar planchets were being prepared for the year-2000 launch when one or more accidentally fed into a press still striking Susan B. Anthony dollars. The resulting coins show the full Anthony design on a golden-brass planchet, weigh approximately 8.07 grams (vs. the standard SBA's 8.10 g), and sometimes show a slightly soft strike because the press was not calibrated for the harder alloy. PCGS distinguishes two sub-varieties: the regular wrong-planchet error (PCGS #9581) and the 'Struck on Experimental Planchet' designation (PCGS #89581), with roughly 8–10 examples known total across both sub-varieties.
The documented auction record is $10,575 for a PCGS MS66 at Heritage Auctions on February 7, 2013 (Lot #12253). A separately reported PCGS MS64 example reportedly realized $16,100 at Heritage's January 2006 FUN auction, though the specific lot number has not been independently re-confirmed from Heritage's archives. This error ranks #43 in '100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins.' Never pay error-coin prices for a raw 'golden' SBA without PCGS or NGC authentication — a weight test (digital scale accurate to 0.01 g) and edge inspection for the uniform brass color (vs. the three-layer clad sandwich of a normal SBA) are the first steps.
The double-denomination SBA — a 1979-P Anthony dollar struck directly over an already-struck 1978 Washington Quarter — is among the rarest and most dramatic errors in the series. Quarter design elements ghosting through the Anthony dollar design are visible under magnification, particularly quarter rim traces and partial ghosting of Washington's portrait. CoinValueChecker records a sale of $14,100 in MS66, with an MS67 reportedly bringing approximately $13,200 in 2022.
Authentication by PCGS or NGC is mandatory. The weight — which should blend the characteristics of both underlying coins — and the visible ghosting of the Washington quarter design are the primary diagnostics. Heritage Auctions has handled multiple examples of this error.
Several known examples of 1979-P Anthony dollars struck on the smaller 24.3mm Washington quarter planchet have appeared at major auction houses. Heritage has handled multiple certified examples graded MS62 through MS64 at ANACS and PCGS, with typical realized prices ranging from $750 to $3,500 depending on grade, eye appeal, and how cleanly the Anthony design fits onto the smaller blank. Because the quarter planchet is smaller in diameter, the rim and some outer design elements will be clipped or incomplete.
Heritage Lot 60311-52332 — sold in 2023 from 'The Errorpalooza Collection' — is a PCGS MS64 Brown example of a 1979-S Anthony dollar struck on a Lincoln cent planchet. The coin shows copper-red color, weighs approximately 3 grams, and carries only a partial design because the cent planchet (19mm) is far smaller than the SBA die pair. Typical realized prices for confirmed PCGS/NGC examples are $2,000–$5,000 depending on the strength of the design impression and grade.
A relatively scarce proof variety documented by Q. David Bowers, showing a secondary 'S' visible to the lower-left of the primary mint mark. Walter Breen separately noted a 1980-S proof die produced in fall 1979 that still carried the older mint-mark punch style. These varieties trade in the $100–$500 range depending on clarity of the secondary impression and whether the coin is certified — per the 'Fun Times Guide' and CoinValueChecker. No CONECA-listed RPM exists for any SBA business strike.
Off-center strikes on SBA dollars are rare for the series. At 5–10% off-center, typical prices are $150–$500; at 20% or more off-center (where the date and most of the design are still visible), values exceed $800. CoinValueChecker records a 1979-S 75% off-center example graded PCGS MS64 that sold for $1,000. Multiple-strike errors — where the coin was struck two or more times by the dies — command a minimum of $500 in any uncirculated grade. Broadstrikes (struck out of collar) trade at $50–$300 depending on grade and centering.
Authentication
Susan B. Anthony dollars are rarely counterfeited outright — the face value is too low to justify the effort, and the small handful of cast-copy fakes documented on the PCGS forum (typically underweight at ~8.04 g with a flat ring tone) have never become a systemic problem. The real authentication issues are misattribution of varieties (Wide Rim vs. Narrow Rim, Type 1 vs. Type 2 proofs), altered or added mint marks, and artificially toned coins. These problems are common enough that a meaningful percentage of raw SBA dollars sold online at premium prices are misidentified.
Added mint marks on business strikes. Someone converting a 1979-P or 1980-P business strike into an apparent proof by adding an 'S' mint mark is the most straightforward scam in the series. The giveaway is the finish: genuine SBA proofs have mirror-polished fields and deeply frosted relief; business strikes have a luster 'cartwheel' look with no mirror quality. PCGS notes that 'all proof Susan B. Anthony dollars are Deep Cameo' — if the field doesn't look like a mirror, it is not a proof, regardless of what mint mark is present.
1979-S Type 1 sold as Type 2. Because the Type 2 ('Clear S') commands a premium, sellers regularly misattribute Type 1 examples. There is only one diagnostic: the internal definition of the 'S' at 10x magnification. A coin with mushy, undifferentiated internal loops is Type 1. There is no shortcut, and a grease-filled-die Type 2 can mimic Type 1 under poor lighting — which is why PCGS certification provides the authoritative attribution.
1981-S Type 1 sold as Type 2. This is the most common misattribution in the SBA series. On the 1981-S, the Type 1 is the clear, well-defined 'S' (which looks like the 1979-S Type 2). The Type 2 is the flat-topped, grainy-surfaced punch introduced in late autumn 1981. Many sellers who know that '1981-S Type 2 is valuable' list any 1981-S proof with a visible 'S' as Type 2 — the opposite of the correct identification. Use the PCGS CoinFacts photographs side-by-side before buying or selling. The estimated false-positive rate on raw online listings for this coin approaches that of the Wide Rim (over 40%), per Coins-Value research.
PCGS's published 2025 fee schedule lists Economy tier (declared value ≤ $300) at $22 per coin, Regular tier (≤ $2,500) at $38, and Express tier (≤ $10,000) at $65 — plus a flat $10 handling fee per submission and a required $69/year Collectors Club membership for direct submission. For the vast majority of SBA dollars, those fees exceed the coin's numismatic value. Submit only when the potential grade premium justifies the cost.
| Coin / Scenario | Est. Raw Value | Slabbing economic? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any regular date, circulated (1979-P, 1980-D, etc.) | $1 (FV) | No | Spend it or keep it. Fees exceed value at any grade. |
| 1979-P Wide Rim, no visible wear, full luster | $45–$65 (MS65 est.) | Yes — if MS65+ | Submit Economy tier ($22 + fees). A PCGS MS66 holder adds $100–$350 in buyer confidence. |
| 1979-S or 1981-S Type 2 proof, no hairlines | $45–$270 (PR69–70 est.) | Yes | Attribution alone is worth the submission fee. Raw Type 2 proofs routinely sell at Type 1 prices. |
| Any 1981 P, D, or S business strike looking MS66+ | $50–$500+ | Yes | PCGS or NGC certification substantially increases buyer confidence and realized price. |
| Suspected wrong-planchet or off-center error | $750–$16,100+ | Mandatory | Never sell a raw error at error prices. Submit Express tier or contact the grading service directly. |
PCGS and NGC will sometimes return an error or variety coin in a 'Genuine-Cleaned' or 'Details' holder if the surfaces show evidence of cleaning or damage. A Details holder typically reduces realized price by 50–80% versus a problem-free slab. Never clean an SBA dollar before submission — or for any other reason.
Cleaning a coin — with any abrasive, including pencil erasers, baking soda, silver polish, or ultrasonic cleaners — leaves microscopic parallel scratches in the metal surface called 'hairlines.' Under the strong oblique lighting PCGS and NGC use during grading, hairlines are immediately visible and disqualify the coin from a numerical grade, resulting in a 'Details: Cleaned' or 'Genuine' designation. That designation typically cuts realized value by 50–80% compared to a problem-free coin of similar grade.
SBA dollars are unusually prone to authentic rainbow toning — the result of contact with sulfur-containing paper, cardboard, or cloth in storage. A genuinely toned 1979-P in high grade can sell for multiples of the standard guide value. As a result, artificial toning (chemical heat-and-fume treatment applied to common coins) is a real risk in this series. Buy toned SBA dollars only in PCGS or NGC holders, where the grading service has already evaluated whether the toning is original. Both PCGS and NGC offer free cert-number verification on their websites.
Auction Records
Heritage Auctions has been the dominant venue for SBA condition rarities and major errors; Stack's Bowers and GreatCollections have handled notable recent sales for the 1980 series. Prices below are hammer-price-plus-buyer's-premium (total paid by buyer). Heritage raised its U.S. coins buyer's premium to 22% (minimum $29) effective January 1, 2026; pre-2026 sales used a prior structure of 17.5%–20%. Normalize hammer prices across years accordingly when making comparisons. PCGS Auction Prices records the $15,000 eBay 1979-S NGC Genuine sale (September 17, 2021) but explicitly disclaims responsibility for eBay listings; that record is included in the table with a caveat.
| Date | Coin | Grade / Holder | Price | Auction House | Provenance / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2022 | 1981-S Business Strike | NGC MS67+ | $21,600 | Heritage Auctions | Long Beach Expo Signature Auction #1340; sole MS67+ across NGC and PCGS; all-time record for any regular SBA business strike |
| Jan 2006 (FUN) | 1999-P Struck on Sacagawea Planchet | PCGS MS64 | $16,100 | Heritage Auctions | Specific lot to be confirmed at Heritage archives; cited by CoinValueChecker |
| Sep 17, 2021 | 1979-S Business Strike | NGC Genuine | $15,000 | eBay | Caveat: NGC Genuine = authentication without numerical grade; eBay, not a recognized auction house. Weakest provenance in this table; treat as outlier, not market benchmark |
| 2016 | 1979-P Double Denomination (struck over 1978 Washington Quarter) | MS66 | $14,100 | Heritage Auctions | CoinValueChecker citing Heritage; an MS67 reportedly brought ~$13,200 in 2022 |
| Feb 7, 2013 | 1999-P Struck on Sacagawea Experimental Planchet | PCGS MS66 | $10,575 | Heritage Auctions | Lot #12253; PCGS #89581; ranks #43 in '100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins' |
| 2007 | 1979-S Business Strike | PCGS MS68 | $5,175 | Heritage Auctions | CoinValueChecker citing Heritage; specific lot not independently confirmed |
| May 1, 2007 | 1981-S Type 2 Proof (Flat S) | PCGS PR70 DCAM | $5,463 | Heritage Auctions | PCGS Auction Prices, PCGS #99595; all-time record for the Type 2 proof variety |
| Apr 2008 | 1980-P | PCGS MS68 | $4,600 | Heritage Auctions | One of three certified MS68; at the time more than double the then-current $2,200 PCGS guide |
| 2013 | 1979-P Wide Rim (Near Date) | PCGS MS67 | $4,406 | Heritage Auctions | PCGS news article '1979 Near Date Susan B. Anthony Dollars' |
| Jan 8, 2014 | 1979-P Narrow Rim | MS65 | $3,819 | Heritage Auctions | CoinValueChecker citing Heritage; condition rarity at the gem level for a 360M+ mintage coin |
| Dec 2007 | 1981-P Business Strike | PCGS MS67 | $3,220 | Heritage Auctions | Auction record for the issue; PCGS Pop 21 at MS67, none finer |
| Jan 2017 | 1981-D Business Strike | PCGS MS68 | $2,938 | Heritage Auctions | Sole finest known; CoinValueChecker citing Heritage |
| Dec 30, 2021 | 1979-P Wide Rim (Near Date) | NGC MS67+ | $6,995 | eBay | PCGS CoinFacts #99571; current all-time record for the Wide Rim variety |
| Jan 2017 | 1979-D | PCGS MS68 | $1,528 | Heritage Auctions | Mile High Collection; sole finest known for the 1979-D |
| Oct 2020 | 1999-D Business Strike | PCGS MS68 | $1,020 | Heritage Auctions | Maltese Collection |
| Jun 2022 | 1980-S Business Strike | PCGS MS67 | $960 | Heritage Auctions | CoinValueChecker; the often-overlooked sleeper low-mintage 1980 date |
| Jun 2023 | 1980-D | NGC MS68 (toned) | $720 | Stack's Bowers | CoinWeek '1980-D Susan B. Anthony Dollar' market report; authentic toning added to realized price |
| Dec 21, 2022 | 1999-P Struck on Sacagawea Planchet | NGC MS65 | insufficient data | Heritage Auctions | Lot #93250, 'The Misfits Collection of U.S. Error Coinage, Part 2'; realized price not confirmed in secondary sources |
Myth vs Reality
Search results and social media for 'Susan B. Anthony dollar value' are littered with misleading claims — mostly recycled coin-dealer clickbait from the early 2000s and YouTube shorts that conflate a coin's historical significance with its monetary value. The following corrections are grounded in verified PCGS and Heritage Auctions data from the dossier above.
Action Steps
Most owners follow a predictable path: find a coin, wonder if it's valuable, search online, get confused by conflicting price claims, and give up. This five-step workflow cuts through that noise. It takes about 30 minutes for a small collection and produces a clear, honest answer for each coin.
Start by grouping your SBA dollars by the date and mint mark stamped on the obverse (front). You need a loupe or 5x magnifying glass. The mint mark — 'P,' 'D,' or 'S' — appears above Anthony's right shoulder. Once sorted, identify immediately which dates fall into the categories that matter: 1979-P (check for Wide Rim), 1979-S proof (check for Type 2), 1981-S proof (check for Type 2), and any 1981 P, D, or S business strike. Everything else is almost certainly face value.
For any coin that landed in the 'possibly valuable' category from Step 1, take clear, in-focus photographs of both sides under bright, natural or LED light — no flash directly over the coin (it washes out surface detail). Use PCGS CoinFacts for side-by-side comparison photographs of the 1979-P Wide Rim vs. Narrow Rim (PCGS #99571 and #9571) and the 1979-S and 1981-S Type 1 vs. Type 2 proofs. Or use the Assay app — photograph obverse and reverse, and the app returns a structured identification with per-field confidence labels, plus a condition assessment and Keep/Sell/Grade recommendation.
The difference between MS65 and MS67 for the 1981-S business strike is the difference between $42 and near-unobtainable. Examine Anthony's cheek and the eagle's breast feathers — the highest-relief points — under strong oblique light. Any visible contact mark in those zones will cap the grade at MS65 or below for the NIFC dates. For proofs, look for hairlines in the mirror fields (any fine scratches from cleaning or mishandling). If the coin looks fully original and mark-free, it is a candidate for professional grading. If it has obvious wear, marks, or any sign of cleaning, raw condition is fine and slabbing is not economical.
PCGS Economy tier grading is $22 per coin (plus a $10 handling fee per submission and a $69/year Collectors Club membership for direct submission). That cost is only justified if the coin's potential slabbed value exceeds the raw value by more than the fee. The threshold in this series: submit a 1979-P Wide Rim that looks MS65+, a 1979-S or 1981-S Type 2 proof with no hairlines, any 1981 P/D/S business strike that looks MS66 or finer, or any confirmed error. For everything else, raw is fine. Both PCGS and NGC accept submissions through their websites and through authorized coin dealers who offer drop-ship submission services at or near list price.
Venue choice determines how much of the coin's value you actually capture. For raw low-value coins ($1–$50), check eBay's 'sold listings' filter for comps and list accordingly, or take them to a local coin dealer for a cash offer (expect 60–70% of retail guide). For certified coins in the $100–$500 range, GreatCollections offers competitive realized prices and low fees. For the $500–$5,000 range, Stack's Bowers or GreatCollections are both strong options. For the MS67+ NIFC coins, genuine wrong-planchet errors, or Type 2 proofs in PR70 DCAM, Heritage Auctions Signature sales reach the deepest pool of specialist buyers. Factor in Heritage's new 22% / $29-minimum buyer's premium (effective January 1, 2026) when calculating net seller proceeds. For complete grade-by-grade pricing on any U.S. coin, Coins-Value.com maintains the most comprehensive independent value reference available, with 20,000+ U.S. and Canadian coin entries.
Frequently Asked
Almost certainly not unless it meets one of a short list of criteria. A circulated coin with a clear gap between the date and the rim is a Narrow Rim — worth $1.00. A 1979-P where the date almost touches the rim is a Wide Rim, worth $5–$8 circulated. Any 1981 P, D, or S business strike (in original Mint Set condition) is worth $3–$10 in average grades. Everything else circulated is face value. Real premiums start at MS65 for most dates and MS66 for the three 1981 NIFC issues.
No. Every business strike and proof in the series — 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1999 — is copper-nickel clad over a pure copper core. The net composition is approximately 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel. The melt value is roughly 10 cents. The silvery color comes from the copper-nickel alloy, not from any silver content. This is the single most common misconception about the series.
Look at the gap between the bottom of the '1979' date and the inner edge of the coin's 11-sided polygonal rim. On the Wide Rim (Near Date), the gap nearly disappears — the date almost grazes the rim, and the rim itself looks thick and rounded. On the Narrow Rim (Far Date), there is an obvious, clear gap. Rim thickness alone can mislead you; date position is the definitive test. PCGS CoinFacts #99571 and #9571 have high-resolution comparison photographs.
Both are San Francisco proofs. The Type 1 ('Filled S' or 'Blob S') has a thick, mushy mint mark with no visible internal loops — struck with a worn punch from roughly July through October 1979, and accounts for about 80% of proofs. The Type 2 ('Clear S') was struck November–December 1979 and has a crisp, well-defined 'S' with two distinct openings and visible serifs. Type 1 in PR69 DCAM is worth about $7; Type 2 reaches $45–$110 in PR69–70 DCAM. Use 10x magnification — there is no other reliable diagnostic.
The 1981-S proof comes in two punch varieties. The Type 1 — roughly 83% of total proofs — is the clear, well-defined 'S' used since late 1979. The Type 2 — introduced only in the final weeks of 1981 — has a flat-topped 'S' with a grainy surface texture and pronounced bulbous serifs. It represents only 15–17% of the approximately 4,063,083 total 1981-S proofs. PR70 DCAM reaches about $270; the auction record is $5,463 at Heritage Auctions on May 1, 2007. It is frequently misattributed — many sellers call any 1981-S proof with a visible 'S' a Type 2, which is the opposite of the correct identification.
No. San Francisco did not participate in the 1999 SBA revival. Only Philadelphia and Denver struck 1999 SBA dollars — Philadelphia produced 29,592,000 business strikes plus 749,090 proofs, and Denver produced 11,776,000 business strikes. Any coin labeled '1999-S SBA' is either a misidentification or a forgery. The 1999-P proof is the legitimate rarity in the revival series: first proof of a circulating coin struck at Philadelphia since 1964.
Because none were issued for circulation. All three mints — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — struck roughly 3,000,000–3,492,000 coins each in 1981, but every single one went into U.S. Mint Uncirculated Sets sold to collectors. They were never distributed through banks. These 'NIFC' (Not Issued For Circulation) coins survive in relatively lower numbers than 1979–1980 issues, and the soft cellophane packaging of those sets produced widespread bag marks, meaning most examples grade MS64–MS66 rather than MS67 or above.
Submit only when the potential slabbed value exceeds raw value by more than the grading fee. Five scenarios where submission makes financial sense: a 1979-P Wide Rim that looks MS65 or better; a 1979-S or 1981-S Type 2 proof with no hairlines (PR69 DCAM or better potential); any 1981 P, D, or S business strike that looks MS66 or finer; any confirmed off-metal or wrong-planchet error; or a 1999-P or 1999-D that looks MS67 or above. PCGS Economy tier costs $22 per coin (plus fees and annual membership). For everything else, raw is fine.
Almost certainly not. Private companies privately gold-plated common SBA dollars as novelty gifts — they have no numismatic value and PCGS and NGC will not grade them. The genuine exception is the 1999-P struck on a Sacagawea manganese-brass planchet, which is golden because of the alloy, not plating. A genuine example weighs about 8.07 grams (vs. 8.10 g for standard SBA), shows uniform brass coloring on the edge with no visible clad layers, and is one of roughly 8–10 known. Authentication by PCGS or NGC is mandatory before drawing any conclusion.
For certified coins in the $100–$500 range, GreatCollections is a strong option with competitive fees. For the $500–$5,000 range, Stack's Bowers or GreatCollections both reach specialist buyers. For MS67+ condition rarities, genuine wrong-planchet errors, or Type 2 proofs in top grades, Heritage Auctions Signature sales reach the deepest specialist audience. For raw coins under $50 in estimated value, eBay's 'sold listings' comps and a reputable local dealer are practical options — expect dealers to offer 60–70% of guide. Avoid pawn shops and 'we buy gold' storefronts, which generally pay face value or melt for dollar coins.
Never. Any abrasive — including mild soap, a pencil eraser, or baking soda — leaves microscopic scratches called hairlines that graders at PCGS and NGC detect under strong oblique lighting. A cleaned coin receives a 'Details: Cleaned' designation, which typically cuts realized value by 50–80% compared to a problem-free example. SBA dollars with original toning or tarnish are worth more in their natural state than bright, shiny cleaned examples. If in doubt, do nothing.
On proof coins, the design elements (Anthony's portrait, the eagle, lettering) are struck with a frosted matte finish while the flat fields are polished mirror-smooth. Strong contrast between the two finishes is 'Cameo' (CAM); exceptional contrast is 'Deep Cameo' (DCAM) at PCGS, or 'Ultra Cameo' (UCAM) at NGC. PCGS notes that all proof Susan B. Anthony dollars are Deep Cameo — earlier certifications without the DCAM designation are holdovers from before PCGS formalized the label. When comparing prices, always verify whether a PR69 or PR70 is designated DCAM, since non-DCAM early certifications are valued considerably lower.
Independent numismatic reference focused exclusively on the Susan B. Anthony Dollar (1979-1981 and 1999) — the first US circulating coin to depict a real woman. Values verified against PCGS Price Guide, NGC Price Guide, Greysheet CPG, and recent realized prices at Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers, and GreatCollections. We do not buy, sell, or appraise coins ourselves. Read our full methodology →