1971 Eisenhower Dollar

The Eisenhower Dollar series began in 1971 to honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Apollo 11 moon landing. Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro designed the coin after his previous work on the Lincoln Memorial reverse caught the attention of Mint officials. The obverse features a portrait of Eisenhower, while the reverse depicts an eagle landing on the moon, a direct nod to the Apollo 11 mission patch. Production shifted in 1975 and 1976 to include a special Bicentennial reverse design by Dennis Williams. This design replaced the eagle with the Liberty Bell superimposed over the moon. The series ended in 1978 when the Mint replaced the large dollar with the smaller Susan B. Anthony design. Collectors often find these coins in circulation or inherited collections because the Mint produced hundreds of millions of them during their eight-year run.

Start your collection with common dates like 1972, 1974, or 1977, which you can find in almost any bank roll or junk bin for face value. Focus on coins with minimal bag marks, as the large, flat surfaces of the Eisenhower Dollar show scratches and abrasions easily. Avoid cleaning your coins because this permanently damages the surface and destroys numismatic value. You should inspect the edges of your coins to ensure they are solid copper-nickel rather than silver-clad, as only the special collector versions contained 40% silver. If you find a 1971-S or 1972-S coin, check the weight, as these are often mistaken for silver issues when they are actually standard copper-nickel planchets.