Susan B. Anthony Dollar: Value, Rarity, and History

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Learn if your Susan B. Anthony coins are worth more than face value

Co-authored by Dean Kinzer and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: October 22, 2025 Fact Checked

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Average Value & Worth

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Most Valuable Susan B. Anthony Dollars

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Factors Impacting Value

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Determining A Coin’s Value

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History

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Are they a good investment?

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Video

Susan B. Anthony dollars aren’t the most common coin, so if you find one, you might be wondering if it’s valuable. These coins were only produced for a few years—between 1979 and 1981 in their first run, and again in 1999. We’ll explain whether Susan B. Anthony coins are valuable, plus which ones might be worth collecting, factors that can impact their value, and whether they’re a good investment. Plus, we spoke with numismatics expert Dean Kinzer for his professional insights.

Which Susan B. Anthony dollars are valuable?

Numismatics expert Dean Kinzer says that Susan B. Anthony dollars aren’t typically worth more than $1, but some errors and varieties can make them more valuable. For example:

1981-S MS67+ Susan B. Anthony: ~ $21,000
1999-P MS68 Susan B. Anthony: ~ $16,000
1979-P Jefferson Nickel Overstrike Error Susan B. Anthony: ~ $15,000
1999-D Sacagawea Planchet Error Susan B. Anthony: ~ $11,000
1999-P Experimental Alloy Susan B. Anthony: ~ $10,000

Section 1 of 6:

How much is a Susan B. Anthony coin worth?

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Most Susan B. Anthony dollars are only worth about face value. According to Kinzer, Susan B. Anthony dollars aren’t worth much. For the most part, they’re only worth $1.00. “The issue is,” he explains, is that “they minted too many and they weren’t widely used, so they’re all in perfect shape.”^{[1]
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Expert Source

Dean Kinzer
Numismatics Expert

Expert Interview} Plus, these coins are fairly common, especially in circulated condition.^{[2]
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- That said, Kinzer says some errors and varieties can make these coins worth more.^{[3]
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  Dean Kinzer
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  Expert Interview} For instance, coins in mint, uncirculated condition can fetch a higher price. We’ll tell you more about the most valuable Susan B. Anthony dollar coins in the next section.
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Dean Kinzer is a numismatics expert and the founder of Kinzer Coins, a rare ancient coin dealership and educational coin resource hub. He specializes in ancient coins.

Section 2 of 6:

What are the most valuable Susan B. Anthony dollars?

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1979-S Type I Proof (Up to $70) When Susan B. Anthony coins were first minted in 1979, the San Francisco mint issued about 3.6 million proof coins. The Type I version of this coin has a blurry “S” stamp (which stands for the San Francisco mint), which makes it somewhat less valuable than the Type II. Still, in excellent, uncirculated condition, they can be collectible.^{[4]
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- What’s it worth? A 1979-S Type I proof Susan B. Anthony dollar can be worth up to $70 at grade PF70 (flawless).^{[5]
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1979-S Type II Proof (Up to $135) 1979-S Type II proofs were also produced by the San Francisco mint in 1979, but they have a clearer S mint stamp. This makes them slightly more valuable than the 1979-S Type I proofs.^{[6]
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- What’s it worth? A 1979-S Type II proof rated PF70 (flawless) is valued at about $135.
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1979-S Regular Strike (Up to $5,000) In addition to the proof coins struck in 1979, the San Francisco mint produced a number of circulation coins as well. These coins are considered the flagship Susan B. Anthony dollar, and they’re highly collectible. Finding one in uncirculated mint condition is rare—there are fewer than 300 known coins graded MS67, and less than that in better condition.^{[7]
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- What’s it worth? A 1979-S Susan B. Anthony coin graded MS68 could be worth up to $5,000. There are no known examples that have been rated higher.^{[8]
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1979-P Regular Strike (Up to $3,700) The Philadelphia mint struck over 600 million 1979 Susan B. Anthony coins, so this is pretty common in circulated condition. But finding an uncirculated coin in excellent condition is rare, and these are considered highly collectible.^{[9]
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- What’s it worth? A 1979-P Susan B. Anthony dollar graded MS68 is valued at about $1,175.^{[10]
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1979-D Regular Strike (Up to $1,500) The Denver mint produced over 300 million Susan B. Anthony dollars in 1979. Like the Philadelphia version of the coin, these are fairly common in circulated condition, but they can be quite valuable in uncirculated condition, depending on the value.^{[11]
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- What’s it worth? A 1979-D coin graded MS68 sold for over $1,500 at auction.
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1979-P Wide Rim (Up to $7,000) In late 1979, the Philadelphia mint started producing a new version of the Susan B. Anthony coin. On this coin, the rim is widened between the date and outside of the coin. This unique version is fairly rare—and particularly collectible.^{[12]
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- What’s it worth? In 2021, a 1979-P Wide Rim Susan B. Anthony dollar graded MS67 sold for $6,995 at auction.
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1979-P Jefferson Nickel Overstrike Error (Over $15,000) In 1979, the Philadelphia mint accidentally struck a Susan B. Anthony coin over a 1978 Jefferson nickel. Jefferson’s home, Monticello, overlaps Anthony’s face. Only one of these error coins are known to exist.^{[13]
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- What’s it worth? In 2014, this coin sold for over $15,000 at auction.
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1979-S Cent Planchet Error (Over $2,600) In 1979, a Susan B. Anthony dollar accidentally struck on a penny planchet at the San Francisco mint. There’s only one known 1979-S cent error Susan B. Anthony coin, making this one extremely collectible.^{[14]
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- What’s it worth? In 2023, this rare error coin sold for $2,640.
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1981-S Type II Proof (Up to $113) 1981 saw another two proof varieties from the San Francisco mint. The rarer of the two is the Type II proof—the original 1979 dies had to be replaced in late 1981, resulting in a sharper S mint mark.^{[15]
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- What’s it worth? A 1981-S Type II proof graded PF68 sold at auction for $113.
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1981-S MS67+ (Up to $21,000) This is a good example of how condition can drastically affect the value of a coin. In worn, circulated condition, 1981-S Susan B. Anthony dollars are worth about face value—or maybe a few cents higher.^{[16]
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Research source} But this coin is exceptionally rare in grades MS67 or higher, and only one MS67+ copy is known to exist.^{[17]
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- What’s it worth? The only known 1981-S Susan B. Anthony graded MS67+ sold for over $12,000 in 2022.
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1999-D Sacagawea Planchet Error (Over $11,000) In 1999, the Denver mint inadvertently produced a handful of Susan B. Anthony coins on a Sacagawea planchet. Only a few were struck, and these error coins are highly desired by collectors.^{[18]
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- What’s it worth? A Sacagawea error coin sold for $11,700 at auction in 2022.^{[19]
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1999-P Regular Strike (Up to $2,000) 1999 was the last year that Susan B. Anthony dollars were struck, so collectors pulled as many of these coins as possible out of circulation. That means uncirculated examples of this coin are fairly easy for collectors to obtain—but they’re still valuable in mint condition.^{[20]
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- What’s it worth? At grade M68, a 1999-P Regular Strike Susan B. Anthony coin can sell for nearly $2,000 at auction.^{[21]
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1999-P Experimental Alloy ($10,000 or more) In 1999, the Mint made an effort to update the Susan B. Anthony dollar with a new color by stamping the coin onto a planchet made of a different metal alloy. Apparently they weren’t satisfied with the outcome, because there are only two known examples of this experiment.^{[22]
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- What’s it worth? One of the two coins, graded MS65, sold for over $10,000 at auction in 2013.
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Quarter Planchet Error (Up to $900) The Susan B. Anthony dollar is similar in size to a quarter. Occasionally, quarter planchets were mistakenly used to strike these coins. The result is a Susan B. Anthony dollar that’s a bit smaller and thinner than it should be. Like other error coins, these are highly collectible.^{[23]
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- What’s it worth? In 2006, a 1979-P quarter planchet error Susan B. Anthony sold for over $850 and a 1999-P sold for over $900.
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1999-P MS68 (Over $16,000) Susan B. Anthony coins from 1999 are fairly common, and in worn, circulated condition, they’re only worth about face value. But they’re somewhat rare in uncirculated, mint condition, and the finest examples, graded MS68, are highly collectible.^{[24]
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- What’s it worth? One 1999-P Susan B. Anthony coin graded MS68 was sold for $16,100 at auction in 2006.
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Complete Sets (Up to $12,000) Collectors who obtain a complete set of Susan B. Anthony coins can see a big boost in the value. The exact value of the collection will vary depending on the condition.^{[25]
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- What’s it worth? A complete set of date and mint marks graded MS67 is estimated to be worth around $12,145.

Section 3 of 6:

What affects a Susan B. Anthony dollar’s value?

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Proofs vs. Circulation Coins Proofs are not intended to be circulated. They’re special coins that are typically struck with multiple strikes on a single planchet. They often have a high-shine finish and especially sharp contrast. Circulation coins (also known as regular coins or business-strike coins) are made with a single strike on a planchet and usually have slightly less detail.^{[26]
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- Proof coins are usually more valuable than circulation coins because of their detailed quality and limited availability.
- Regular coins that have never been circulated (uncirculated coins) have a distinctive sheen and sharp details. Uncirculated coins have higher values than circulated coins. ^{[27]
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Condition & Grade In coin collecting, condition is king. Uncirculated coins in pristine condition can be highly valuable, while a circulated, worn version of the exact same coin might only be worth face value. Collectors often have their valuable coins evaluated and authenticated by reputable coin grading services like PCGS, NCG, ANACS, and ICG. A high grade from one of these grading services can help boost the value of the coin, as well.
- Circulation coins (both circulated and uncirculated) are graded on an MS scale that ranges from MS60 to MS70.^{[28]
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- Proof coins are graded on a PF scale ranging from PF60 to PF70.
If a coin is easy to find, there’s no reason for a collector to pay a premium for it. But if a coin was produced in fewer numbers, or if there aren’t many surviving examples in excellent condition, collectors are often willing to pay more to add it to their collection.
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Errors Coins with a minting error are extremely rare—the Mint usually pulls these and destroys them before they ever make it to circulation. If you’re able to find an error coin, it’s usually worth a lot of money.
- Common errors include off-center coins, blank or clipped planchets, double strikes, and coins that were struck on the wrong planchet.

Section 4 of 6:

How do I know if a Susan B. Anthony dollar is valuable?

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Look up the exact year and mint mark in coin guides. There are 18 total variations of Susan B. Anthony coins, not counting the errors. To know the value of your coin, first look at the year, then the mint mark. Then, according to Kinzer, you can look up the value in a price guide like The Red Book from Whitman: “It covers the prices for all U.S. coins.”^{[29]
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Dean Kinzer
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- The total list of Susan B. Anthony coins includes:
- 1979-P
- 1979-P Wide Rim
- 1979-D
- 1979-S
- 1979-S Type I Proof
- 1979-S Type II Proof
- 1980-P
- 1980-D
- 1980-S
- 1980-S Proof
- 1981-P
- 1981-D
- 1981-S
- 1981-S Type I Proof
- 1981-S Type II Proof
- 1999-P
- 1999-D
- 1999-P Proof
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Evaluate the condition of the coin and consider having it graded. Scratches, nicks, rub marks, faded details, and discoloration are all fairly common on coins—and they can significantly affect the value. The most valuable coins are typically shiny, with crisp details, and little to no obvious damage.
- If you have a coin in a protective sleeve, don’t take it out to examine it—even infrequent handling can cause wear that will impact the value.
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Check the sold listings on auction sites. To get an idea of what your coin is actually worth on the market, check coin auction sites like Heritage Auctions or eBay. Be sure to check completed auctions to see what the coins actually sold for—not just the listing price, since there’s no guarantee a coin will sell for the asking price.

Section 5 of 6:

History of the Susan B. Anthony Dollar

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Susan B. Anthony dollars were produced from 1979 to 1981 and in 1999. Susan B. Anthony was an activist who fought for women’s suffrage and the abolition of slavery. Although she died before women successfully got the right to vote, she’s considered instrumental in making it happen.^{[30]
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- Anthony was the first real woman to be featured on a U.S. coin (as opposed to a symbolic female like Lady Liberty).
- Kinzer explains that “they made [the Susan B. Anthony dollars] to replace the Eisenhower dollars, which were too big to fit in a vending machine.” He says, “They needed a coin that could be used in Coke machines!”^{[31]
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- “The issue,” he goes on to say, “is they were roughly the same size as a quarter and the vending machines weren’t set up to accept them. People kept getting confused and spending them as quarters, and the whole thing fell apart.”^{[32]
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- So, Kinzer says the Sacagawea dollar was made in 2000, which was larger than a quarter and a different color, to replace the Susan B. Anthony dollars. “If digital payment wasn’t just taking off at the time,” explains Kinzer, “we’d be drowning in dollar coins.”^{[33]
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Section 6 of 6:

Are Susan B. Anthony Coins a Good Investment?

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If you find a collectible Susan B. Anthony coin in uncirculated condition, it could be worth buying. Just be sure to research the value of the coin to ensure you don’t pay too much. But worn, circulated Susan B. Anthony coins are only worth about face value, and they’re not likely to appreciate much in value over time.^{[34]
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