Susan B. Anthony Dollars 1979-1999

About This Series

When the Susan B. Anthony dollar debuted in 1979 as the first U.S. coin to honor a non-mythological woman, it carried both historic significance and a fatal design flaw: its 26.5mm diameter, reeded edge, and silvery copper-nickel clad appearance made it nearly indistinguishable from a quarter in pocket change, dooming the coin to public rejection. Frank Gasparro's obverse depicts the pioneering suffragist who was arrested for voting illegally in the 1872 presidential election, while the reverse adapts the Apollo 11 mission insignia of an eagle landing on the moon. Initial production was enormous — over 757 million struck in 1979 alone — but public resistance was equally massive, and by 1981 the Mint had accumulated vast surpluses that sat in Federal Reserve vaults. The 1981 issue was distributed only through Mint and proof sets, never released for general circulation. An unexpected revival occurred in 1999 when the stored surplus was exhausted by transit systems and vending machines, prompting a one-year production run as a bridge to the forthcoming Sacagawea dollar. Struck at 8.1 grams in copper-nickel clad, the SBA dollar's commercial failure prompted Congress to mandate a distinctive golden color and smooth edge for its successor. Despite its troubled history, the series holds important status as a milestone in gender representation on American coinage.