A Susan B. Anthony dollar is a circulating US dollar coin, not a silver dollar like a Morgan. Most worn examples are worth about a dollar. A few 1979 varieties and higher grade coins sell for more, so check the date, mint mark and rim details before you spend it or list it.
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Example
1979-D Susan B. Anthony dollar, first-year issue
Most worn circulation strikes are worth about a dollar, which is also the face value
A 1979 dollar coin is usually a clad Susan B. Anthony dollar, not a silver Morgan or Peace dollar. A few mint-mark and rim varieties, and higher-grade coins, can sell for more. This photograph shows a 1979-D example in a museum exhibit. Photo: 1 Dollar, United States, Susan B. Anthony, 1979 D - National Museum of American History - DSC00278.jpg by Daderot, released under CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Photographed at the National Museum of American History. See also photo credits.
What the coin is, and that most are not silver
The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a small United States dollar coin. The United States Mint describes it as a cupro-nickel clad coin (8.33 percent nickel, balance copper), issued in 1979 to 1981 and again in 1999. It contains no silver. If you were hoping for a Morgan or Peace dollar, this is a different coin: smaller, with a different portrait, and no 90 percent silver melt floor.
Face value is one dollar. That is also what most worn circulation strikes are worth if you spend them or take them to a bank. Social posts sometimes treat every 1979 dollar as an error coin. Most are not.
Years of issue
Circulation production ran in 1979 and 1980 at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco, then again in 1999 at Philadelphia and Denver. The Mint's page lists the same year groups: 1979 to 1981, and 1999. 1981 coins were made for collectors in mint and proof sets rather than as an everyday circulation run, so a 1981 date is worth identifying carefully, not pricing from a rumour. Proofs and mint-set coins have a different finish and a different listing set from a worn pocket piece.
The mint mark is on the obverse, behind the portrait. P, D, and S are the marks you will see on this series. Not sure which mint mark you have? Snap it and the app reads it for you.
1979 varieties and errors as sections
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 collectors look for. It is not automatic proof that your 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 filled-S and clear-S mint marks on some 1979-S and 1981-S coins. Those are specialist distinctions. Off-centre strikes, clipped planchets, and other genuine mint errors exist in small numbers, as they do on many modern coins. They need to be identified as errors, not assumed from a scratch or a bag mark. We do not invent error prices. If a piece looks unusual, get a second look from a specialist before you list it as an error.
Condition
Wear on the cheek and the hair, and marks on the reverse eagle, tell you whether you have a typical circulated coin or something closer to uncirculated. Do not clean the coin. A worn 1979 or 1980 from change is usually a one-dollar coin.
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 date and mint, we show them so you can see the spread.
Where to sell
For a common worn example, spending it or taking it to a bank is the simple route. A confirmed variety, a high-grade coin, or a 1981 collector issue may belong in a listing or with a coin shop. The app can draft a listing for eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree. Figures and face values here are in US dollars. A scan still helps if you are outside the United States.
Common mix-ups with other small dollars
Susan B. Anthony dollars are close in size to a quarter, which is one reason they did not circulate as hoped. They are also easy to mix up with later small dollars, such as Sacagawea or Presidential dollars, which have a different colour and design. A large Eisenhower dollar, and a 90 percent silver Morgan or Peace dollar, are larger still. If you have a large silver-looking dollar, use the silver dollar guide rather than this page.
Scan and list
- Photograph both sides, including the date, the mint mark, and the rim around the date.
- Confirm the year 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. Coin figures also draw on Numista. See How we price.
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 Susan B. Anthony dollar worth?
Most worn circulation strikes are worth about a dollar, which is also the face value. A few 1979 varieties and higher-grade or collector-issue coins can sell for more. Check the date, mint mark, and rim details before you spend it or list it as a rarity.
Is a Susan B. Anthony dollar silver?
No. The United States Mint describes it as a cupro-nickel clad coin (8.33 percent nickel, balance copper), issued in 1979 to 1981 and again in 1999. It is not a 90 percent silver Morgan or Peace dollar.
What is a 1979-P wide rim Susan B. Anthony dollar?
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 date-to-rim spacing with a clear reference photo, and do not invent a price from a video thumbnail.
Are 1979 dollar coins error coins?
Most are not. Social posts sometimes treat every 1979 dollar as an error. 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 to 1981 and 1999; cupro-nickel clad (8.33% nickel, balance copper); face value one dollar. Accessed 11 November 2026.
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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