The 1971 silver dollar value currently sits at around $14 for one with an MS 63 grade in uncirculated condition. Furthermore, one with an MS 65 gem grade can sell for as much as $20. However, the coin’s condition, rarity, and variety will play vital roles in either increasing or decreasing its price.
This post will explain everything about the 1971 silver dollar and the best places to sell it for better value. You will understand the rarity of this unique coin, its symbolism, and the best way to assemble a set.
The 1971 Dollar
Also known as the Eisenhower dollar, this coin was the first one-dollar coin produced after the end of the Peace dollar series in 1935. The US Mint produced this coin from 1971 to 1978, with its features honouring the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon mission.
The Eisenhower dollar was struck in two types of composition; one with nickel and copper and the other with 40% silver. The former was intended for circulation, while the latter was meant as a collectible.
1971 Silver Dollar
The 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar contains 40% silver instead of the copper-nickel component of the other coins. The US mint struck it for collectors and in honour of the late president who liked silver dollars.
History
The history of the 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar started with the proposal that sought a reissuance of the dollar coin after the end of the Peace dollar series. However, this proposal raised by the Nixon Administration Mint Director Mary Brooks intended to produce the new one dollar in silver.
With the president’s death on March 28, 1969, Florence Dwyer suggested that the new coin should have the late president’s profile as an honour to his memory. However, when a bill was filed to authorize the 1971 dollar, the coin was to be struck without any silver component.
This raised certain issues as some indicated disrespect to the late president by minting coins made from “scrap metal” to honour him. The bill would later settle around authorizing the US mint to strike coins of two types for different purposes. One with copper and nickel components and another with silver.
Thus, the 1971 silver dollar went into production in both standard and proof series.
Features
With the intention to honour two different events, the 1971 silver dollar dedicated its obverse to one and reverse to the other. The coin’s obverse carries features that honour the death of the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower, while its reverse honours the Apollo 11 Moon mission.
Obverse
The obverse or “head part” of the coin has a left-side profile of the late president at the centre. You will find the word “LIBERTY” along the top side of the coin and “IN GOD WE TRUST” in front of the profile’s chin.
The bottom of the coin carries its year of production, which in this case, is 1971. Finally, you will find its mint mark under the president’s profile and above the coin’s production year.
Reverse
As expected, the coin’s reverse has more features than its obverse because of its symbolism. The reverse celebrates the Apollo 11 Moon mission of 1969 and has a design that directly represents the event.
First, you will see the profile of an eagle landing on the Moon’s surface while holding an olive branch and to the top left of the eagle is a profile of the Earth. This symbolizes the success of the Moon landing and the fact that “we come in peace.”
The words “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” lie engraved along the topmost part of the coin. Directly under it, you will find thirteen stars encircling the coin in honour of the original 13 states. Also, the famous words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are struck underneath the stars and above the eagle.
Finally, the coin’s denomination lies at the bottom as “ONE DOLLAR.” It is important to note that the eagle also referenced the name of the Lunar Module – Eagle.
1971 Silver Dollar Series
The US Mint struck the 1971 dollar in circulated, uncirculated, and proof series. Of these three series, only the proof and uncirculated contain silver; we will focus on those. The main reason why the proof and uncirculated series were struck in silver was that they were intended as collectibles.
1971-S Silver Dollar – Uncirculated series
Also known as the “blue Ike,” The 1971-S silver dollar was struck at the San Fransisco mint, hence the “S” mint mark on the coin’s obverse. Struck coins contained 40% silver and had a total number of 6,868,530 produced coins.
With a more valuable component and less produced coins than the copper-nickel clad series, these coins have a higher worth that generally fluctuates with silver prices.
1971-S Proof Silver Dollar
Compared to the uncirculated blue Ike series, the 1971-S proof silver dollar had a much lower number of total produced coins. The number sits at 4,265,234, all of which also contain 40% silver and carry the “S” mint mark at the relevant spot.
This series is rarest of the 1971 silver dollars apart from the ones with the common valuable errors and prototypes.
Honourable Mention – 1971-D Silver Dollar
This series has no silver component but we included it here because the Denver mint struck it in silver dollar format. It also shows some of the best workmanship of the entire Eisenhower series despite the older age of the mint.
The total number of struck coins was 68,587,424, making the series easy to acquire today.
Error Varieties
There are some valuable errors associated with the 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar. They are: Double Die Reverse and Re-punched Mint Mark errors.
A Double Die Reverse (DDR) error occurs when a die receives an additional impression that isn’t well aligned on its hub. This creates a sort of double engraving on the coin, and when it occurs on the coin’s reverse, it becomes a double die reverse.
Re-punched Mint Marks are simply what they mean, which occurs when a mint mark isn’t engraved boldly enough on the first strike. This leads to the technician “repunching” the symbol or image a second time, leading to the error if he/she doesn’t properly align the punch.
How Rare is the 1971 Silver Dollar?
Generally, collectors do not consider any of the Eisenhower dollar series as rare, even though the 1972 silver dollar series aren’t much. The reason is that the coins never circulated successfully.
It only found its major use in casinos on the West Coast. In fact, even though it was also intended for vending machines, only a handful made use of it. You can attribute this failure to the size of the coin, which was large.
Its size meant that vending machines had to be modified to use the coins, which didn’t happen. As a collectible, the 1971 silver dollar had a design that several collectors found underwhelming and quite disappointing despite its symbolism.
These reasons contributed to the abundance of the 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar and the relative ease of acquiring it. However, finding one in top condition can be challenging because the coins never had the best care at the time of production. Therefore, you can’t find many of the series in perfect condition.
1971 Silver Dollar Value
Since the 1971 silver dollar is common, its value is low. However, because of the rarity of coins in top condition, you can get more for your coin if it has the right condition. Collectors generally classify a coin’s condition into four main parts: good, fine, extremely fine, and uncirculated.
However, this particular coin is mostly graded around its mint state (MS) because it was meant to be a collectible. Therefore, we will cover the 1971 silver dollar value of coins with MS 65 through PR 70 grades.
1971-S Silver Dollar Value
Even though we stated earlier that coin’s value is around $14, some have sold for higher prices based on coin conditions. The table below shows the prices at which the coins sold in various conditions.
| Grade | Price |
| Uncirculated | $8.50 – $13.95 |
| MS 65 | $26.00 |
| MS 65 (Double Die Reverse and Double Die Obverse Error) | $56.55 |
| MS 66 | $50 |
| MS 67 | $308 |
| PR 70 | $565 |
1971-S Proof Silver Dollar Value
Naturally, one would expect 1971-S proof silver dollars to sell at higher prices compared to the standard ones. The reason is because of its lesser total produced amount, which means the proof coins should not be as readily available as the standard ones.
| Grade | Price |
| MS 65 | $24.99 |
| PF 66 | $25 |
| PR 67 | $16 |
| PR 67 (Rainbow Toned) | $325 |
| PR 68 | $19.50 |
| PR 68 (Double Die Obverse and Reverse) | $125 |
| PR 68 (Peg Leg Error) | $69 |
| PR 69 | $69.95 |
| PF 69 (Doubled Die Obverse) | $199.99 |
| PF 69 | $80 |
| PR 70 | $799.95 |
Where to Sell Your 1971 Silver Dollar
You will notice from the previous section that some coins with higher grades sold for less. This shows that the timing and platform matter when you want to sell your coin. Whether you want to receive the full value for your 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar or simply want quick cash, you have one of two main options.
The first option involves making your sale in person at either a local coin shop or a pawn shop. Here, you can quickly and easily drop your coin, get it graded and collect its cash value. However, collectors generally regard this method as a way to get less value for your coin. Nevertheless, most people prefer this way since the coin isn’t that valuable in the first place.
Another option is to enlist your coin or collection on online platforms that support such sales and auctions. Good examples of such platforms/websites include eBay and Heritage Auctions. Since you will have to include your coin’s description, condition, and attributes, you should grade it first before putting it up for sale or auction.
Building Your 1971 Silver Dollar Collection
Generally, you should find it quite easy to build your 1971 silver dollar collection because of its availability. However, assembling an entire collection of well-preserved coins will be quite challenging. You will need considerable time, patience, and a little more money.
The best way to start is by getting the proof coins, which are less common than the standard ones. Depending on the grade you want, you can either get it easily or wait a bit more for one with a higher grade.
Once you have gotten a satisfactory 1971-S silver dollar, you can then move on to collecting the standard one. At this point, acquiring the copper-nickel clad series shouldn’t be difficult.
Wrapping Up
Despite its failure to circulate and fulfil its purpose, the 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar has a special place in every collection. Numismatic historians regard it as the greatest achievement in clad coinage in the history of the United States.
Some still firmly believe that just like other low-value coins that became very valuable, the 1971 Eisenhower silver dollar value will also rise. Finally, you can always regard this coin as the “perfect collectible” because of its failure and significance.
