A 1979 dollar coin is usually a Susan B. Anthony dollar from the first year of that series, not a silver Morgan dollar. 1979 dollar coin value is about a dollar for most worn examples, with a few mint-mark and rim varieties worth a closer look. Check the date, mint mark and rim before you spend it or list it as a rarity.
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Example
1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar, obverse and reverse
Most worn examples are worth about a dollar, which is also the face value
A 1979 dollar coin is usually a Susan B. Anthony dollar from the first year of that series. It is a clad circulation coin, not a silver Morgan or Peace dollar. A few mint-mark and rim varieties, and higher-grade coins, can sell for more. Scan by Stanislav Kozlovskiy. Coin design by the United States Mint. Public domain. Source: 1 us dollar 1979.jpg. See also photo credits.
How to identify it
Most 1979 “dollar coins” people find in a drawer are Susan B. Anthony dollars: a small, cupro-nickel clad United States dollar, not 90 percent silver. The United States Mint describes the series as clad (8.33 percent nickel, balance copper), issued in 1979 to 1981 and again in 1999. Photograph both sides, including the date, the mint mark behind the portrait, and the rim around the date. Not sure which mint mark you have? Snap it and the app reads it for you.
This page is a child of the Susan B. Anthony dollar guide. If you have a large 90 percent silver dollar, use the silver dollar guide instead.
What changes the price
Mint mark, condition, and a few 1979 varieties change the picture. A worn 1979-P, 1979-D, or 1979-S from change is usually a one-dollar coin. Higher-grade coins and collector finishes are a different listing set. Do not clean the coin. Face value is one dollar, and that is also what most worn circulation strikes are worth if you spend them or take them to a bank.
Key varieties as sections, no invented prices
The variety people ask about most is the 1979-P wide rim, also called a near date, where the date sits closer to the rim than on the common narrow-rim 1979-P. That is a real variety. It is not automatic proof that every 1979 dollar is scarce. Compare the date-to-rim spacing with a clear reference photo, and do not invent a price from a video thumbnail. Proof collectors also talk about mint-mark style on some 1979-S coins. Genuine mint errors exist in small numbers and need to be identified as errors, not assumed from a scratch or a bag mark.
Melt vs collectible value
A Susan B. Anthony dollar has no silver melt floor. There is nothing useful to cite from an NGC silver-coin melt table for this clad coin. Any premium is a collector or variety premium, not a metal floor. Social posts that treat every 1979 dollar as an error coin are misleading.
Listed vs sold
The range we show comes from current public listings, which are asking prices. A sold price can be lower. Asking prices for “rare 1979 dollar errors” are often wishful. When we find enough listings for the exact mint and variety, we show them so you can see the spread. See How we price.
Where to sell
For a common worn example, spending it or taking it to a bank is the simple route. A confirmed wide-rim variety or a high-grade coin may belong in a listing or with a coin shop. The app can draft a listing for eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree.
Scan and list
- Photograph both sides, including the date, the mint mark, and the rim around the date.
- Confirm the 1979 date and mint, and say if you think it might be a wide-rim 1979-P.
- Review the Worth about figure and the listed range when we find enough current public listings.
You can start with a free web scan in the box on this page.
The app scans faster, keeps a history of your items and gives free weekly scans.
What makes How Much Is It Worth different
One photo is enough to start, and you can add up to two more angles. We identify the item first, you confirm or correct it, then we look up a Worth about figure and a listed range from current public marketplace listings. Those are asking prices, which can sit above what a piece finally sells for. You see the listings themselves when we find enough of them.
Coins and banknotes also draw on Numista. Trading cards use PokéWallet, with a source credit where that data appears. Gold and silver use a live metal price as a floor. If listings are thin, we show a clearly labelled rough estimate rather than inventing a precise number. The app can draft a listing for eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree once you are ready to sell. For the short version of this process, read How we price.
FAQ
How much is a 1979 dollar coin worth?
A 1979 dollar coin is usually a Susan B. Anthony dollar from the first year of that series. Most worn examples are worth about a dollar, which is also the face value. A few mint-mark and rim varieties, and higher-grade coins, can sell for more.
Is a 1979 dollar coin silver?
No. The United States Mint describes the Susan B. Anthony dollar as a cupro-nickel clad coin, not 90 percent silver. It is not a Morgan or Peace dollar.
What is a 1979-P wide rim?
It is a real variety, also called a near date, where the date sits closer to the rim than on the common narrow-rim 1979-P. It is not automatic proof that every 1979 dollar is scarce. Compare the spacing with a reference photo, and do not invent a price from a video.
Are all 1979 dollars error coins?
No. Most are ordinary circulation strikes. Genuine errors and the wide-rim variety exist in smaller numbers and need to be identified as such. A scratch or a bag mark is not an error.
Related coin guides
Sources
- United States Mint, Susan B. Anthony Dollar: issued 1979-1981 and 1999, cupro-nickel clad, not silver. Accessed 11 November 2026.
- Coin figures in the app also draw on Numista, with a source credit where that data appears.
- How the app prices items is described on How we price.
Updated 11 November 2026. Written by Harris, who built How Much Is It Worth. Figures that we cite include a source and a date. They are not a certified appraisal. See How we price.
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