Eisenhower Dollar: The Perfect Coin to Collect

The Eisenhower dollar is a series of coins minted between 1971 and 1978. Because of the limited duration of production, this is an excellent set of coins to start a collection with since the entire series is relatively easy for you to acquire. You can find a large number of uncirculated Eisenhower silver dollars on eBay for your collection.

The Eisenhower dollar is a series of coins minted between 1971 and 1978. There were no Eisenhower coins stamped with a 1975 date.

Two separate sets of coins were made. Eisenhower dollars intended for circulation were made of base metals. You can also find the collector's edition of the Eisenhower coins, which are 40% silver. Both types of Eisenhower coins are on eBay: the general circulation base metal version and the 40% silver collector's edition.

Most Eisenhower coins picture President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the front and have an image of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon mission on the reverse. In 1976, a special Eisenhower dollar was minted to celebrate the bicentennial of the American Revolution. For this year only, the coins are marked with the years 1776-1976. They also have a picture of the Liberty Bell rather than the Apollo 11 image on the back.

The Eisenhower silver dollars are typically certified. This means an independent expert has evaluated the coin and graded it. The two major certification companies are Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) and Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). Each company maintains a database of all their certifications; you should check these databases with the serial number of the coin you are interested in to get more information. Generally, certified coins have also been professionally encased in a transparent plastic display box to prevent further damage.

You can find different quality Eisenhower dollars on eBay. Circulation-grade Eisenhower coins typically are in a used condition and are uncertified. They are often sold in lots of 10-100 coins of different years and conditions. You can also find lots consisting of the 1976 bicentennial Ike dollars for sale.

The collector's version of the Eisenhower dollars for sale is generally sold certified and as a single coin. The condition is often excellent since most collectors did not put these coins into circulation.

In addition to the 1976 bicentennial coin, there are a few other notable years of Eisenhower coins.

The 1972 dollar coin produced by the Philadelphia mint exists in three different variations. Of particular note is the Type II 1972 one-dollar coin, which was minted using an incorrect die, and was only used in one production run. This type of Eisenhower dollar is rarer than the others due to the limited production run.

The last Eisenhower dollar was minted in 1978. While the 1978 one-dollar coin is nominally the same as the previous years, the San Francisco Mint introduced a new minting process that year. As a consequence, the 1978 silver dollar, but not the circulation dollar, has a much sharper look than previous years.