The History of the Susan B Anthony Dollar
The first woman to feature in U.S. circulation currency was Susan B. Anthony. What is a 1979-dollar coin P wide rim worth? It replaced the Eisenhower dollar from 1979 to 1981 and 1999.
The Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin Act, Public Law 95-447, came into law on October 10, 1978. This law added a woman’s visage to coins and changed their size and appearance. Its first issue was in July 1979.
Coin Specs
The text on the 1979 P Susan B. Anthony $1 coin reads as follows:
Obverse: Liberty; Date; In God We Trust
Reverse: United States Of America; E Pluribus Unum; One dollar.
The first Susan B. Anthony dollars came into circulation with much fanfare in July 1979, but the coin quickly failed. Why? Because of the Susan B coin errors.
The coin, which had a diameter of 1.04 inches (26.5 millimeters) and was silvery in color, too closely resembled the appearance of the Washington quarter. Many individuals confused the denominations, resulting in losses of 75 cents or more in transactions.
To improve the aesthetic of the Susan B. Anthony coins, they reworked its rim and made it wider around the end of 1979. They did this to give the coin a more polished look. As a result, two distinct types are available for the year 1979. The “Narrow Rim” variation is one of the options available to you.
However, this version of the 1979 dollar is the standard, and you cannot typically use the term “regular” 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar when discussing a typical example of the currency. The “Wide Rim” variety is the name given to the second type of variety. The “Wide Rim” type is the more difficult to get off the two, and as a result, it typically sells for a substantial premium.
On a standard 1979 Susan B. Anthony Dollar with a narrow rim, the coin’s rim will be distinct from the date on the coin, which will be in the coin. Either the 1979 “Wide Rim” variety or the more difficult-to-find 1979-P variety.
The minting year for the dollar will appear very close to the edge of a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, virtually making contact with it. After 1979, the “Wide Rim” variety became the standard for striking all next Susan B. Anthony dollars throughout the series.
The rim on the obverse of the coin that bears the face value of the 1979 P Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Dollar can be wide in certain main varieties. The fact that the rim with 11 sides is slightly thicker than average results in a smaller gap between 1979 and the rim. Because the date appears closer to this type’s edge, its reference is the “near date” variant.
Survival and Rarity Estimates
There are some extremely rare Susan B. Anthony dollars in circulation today. The production of the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin by the United States Mint was in 1979 and was in circulation until 1981, after which they were back into circulation in 1999. They are fairly common and not very expensive, even though you do not frequently see them in circulation.
The coin you have is a scarce Susan B. Anthony coin. Look for a coin with a thick rim and a date close to the edge of the coin (approximately the width of the numeral 1 in the date). In addition, the United States Mint issued Susan B. Anthony dollars in limited-edition collector sets consisting of three coins. Some of these sets may have included the near-date variation.
Although they printed and distributed Anthony dollars, many uncirculated examples still exist today. Nonetheless, Susan P Anthony’s coin value is similar to their face amount. Nevertheless, date and mint mark types are more valuable than others. Because the 1981 coins were mainly for collectors, their value is significantly higher than that of the series’ other circulation striking.
There is an abundant supply of both circulated and uncirculated samples. Your local bank may have circulation coins available for purchase on occasion. Your neighborhood coin dealer should be able to supply you with uncirculated coins at affordable prices.
Who was Susan B Anthony?
Susan Brownell Anthony, well known by her initials, Susan B. Anthony. Her birthday is February 15, 1820, and she was born in Adams, Massachusetts, in the United States. It was on March 13, 1906, in Rochester, New York, that she passed away. Susan was an American activist and a pioneer crusader for the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.
She served as the president (1892 to 1900) of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Susan passed away in the year 1900. Susan B. Antony counts the following achievements among the many high points of her life:
- They took her into custody for voting illegally in the presidential election of 1872 while at her residence in Rochester, New York. However, they only used Anthony’s behavior as evidence, even though fourteen other women were also in custody. They gave her a fine of one hundred dollars, but she refused to pay it, and they did not force her to do so.
- Became an advocate not just for a woman’s right to vote but also for the right woman to own property and for women’s labor unions. In the 19th century, married women were not permitted to keep their earnings or property. This practice persisted well into the 20th century. The term “purse” came to represent the emancipation of women as a symbol. She strongly advocated for women’s rights, including the freedom to own property.
- In the year 1900, Anthony was successful in securing admission for women at the University of Rochester. To do this, Anthony was instrumental in collecting commitments totaling $50,000. She even took out her life insurance policy to raise the necessary funds; the institution eventually reimbursed her for the cost of the policy that she cashed out.
- She is the first woman to feature on a United States currency. President Jimmy Carter passed the Susan B. Anthony Dollar Coin Act in 1978, and as a result, the picture of Susan B. Anthony was on the new dollar coin, which replaced the previous design. She is the first woman to have her image minted onto a currency. After Anthony, other notable American women who have been on coins include Sacagawea, who is on the dollar coin, and Helen Keller, who featured on a special-issue quarter in Alabama.
- Most importantly, Anthony helped pave the way for the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, granting women voting rights. Together with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Anthony established the National Women’s Suffrage Association in 1869. Together, they fought for the right of women to vote. In 1878, she was the author of the initial draft of the 19th Amendment.
In 1900, shortly before Susan B. Anthony retired, they questioned her about whether or not women would have the right to vote during her lifetime.
She responded, “It will arrive, but I shall not see it. You can never avoid it. We can no longer ignore indefinitely the demand of one-half of our population for the right to rule themselves, but the time will come, and I believe it will be within a generation.”
When the 19th Amendment finally got approval in 1920, women in the United States acquired the right to vote fourteen years after Anthony passed away.
What is a 1979 Dollar Coin P Wide Rim Worth
The value of a 1979 P Susan B. Anthony dollar coin with a broad rim ranges from about $5 to $20 when you find it on circulation coins. They have a value of approximately $40 if rated by PCGS or NGC as MS65 and approximately $85 if graded by either service as MS66.
Susan B. Anthony dollars from 1979, sometimes known as SBAs, are not silver but clad copper.
A Susan B. Anthony Coin from 1979 that is in circulated condition has an estimated value between $1.05 and $1.35 as of November 2022, as stated by the NGC Price Guide.
On the other hand, the 1979 Susan B Anthony silver dollar in perfect, uncirculated condition can sell for as much as $1,950 on the open market.
Parting Thoughts
How much is a 1979 Susan B Anthony dollar worth? Three factors go into determining the value of a coin: the quantity produced, the quality (also known as the condition) of the coin, and the amount of demand for the coin.
Because you now have access to this information, you know the value of the Susan B. Anthony coins you possess and anything else you must know about these coins. Read our article and find out The Best Way To Clean Old Coins.