The Eisenhower dollar was replaced in 1979 by the Susan B.

The United States Mint also struck limited numbers of 40% silver Eisenhower dollars for collectors and copper-nickel proofs. A large share of these dollar coins were used in Nevada casinos.Ĭirculating issues were made from copper-nickel clad. While Ike dollars were struck for general circulation, the large-size dollar coin measuring 38.1 millimeters wide and weighing at least 22.68 grams was unpopular with many Americans - and it did not commonly appear in pocket change. The reverse (tails side) depicts the mission insignia for Apollo 11, the NASA spacecraft that took the first men to the Moon in 1969. Eisenhower, who was a five-star World War II army general and served as the nation’s 34th president from 1953 through 1961. Ike dollars were struck from 1971 through 1978 - and the relatively short-lived series serving as America’s last circulating large-size dollar coin saw a lot of cool varieties and errors.Įisenhower dollars feature an obverse (heads side) portrait of Dwight D. Several issues were made in relatively small quantities for distribution only in mint sets, including the 1970-D, 1987 Philadelphia and Denver pieces, and all made since 2002.There certainly are plenty out there to look for! Eisenhower Dollar Coin Facts There are also scarce varieties such as the 1974 doubled die obverse, 1982 no FG, and 1998-S matte finish. No single issue of the Kennedy half dollar is rare, though any business-strike pieces grading better than MS66 or MS67 is largely regarded as a conditional rarity. By the early 1980s, the denomination had become virtually non-existent in day-to-day transactions, even though the half dollar remained on the lineup of business-strike circulating coinage until 2002. This led many into thinking the Kennedy half dollar is inherently more valuable or worthy of saving than other half dollars and soon helped lead to an effective removal of the half dollar from circulation. The Kennedy half dollar, with the obverse designed by Gilroy Roberts and the reverse by Frank Gasparro, was an immediate hit millions of mourning Americans jumping on the opportunity to own a 'souvenir' of Kennedy for only 50 cents. The first Kennedy half dollar was released in early 1964, replacing the Franklin half dollar that debuted only 16 years earlier in 1948. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963, Congress expedited the approval of redesigning the half dollar to honor the nation's fallen president. Shortly following the assassination of President John F.

1972 silver dollar piece value