The Mint, for its part, was satisfied with removing silver entirely and assisted the Treasury Department in separating pre-64 silver issues from federal holdings and melting down the obsolete coins. Eisenhower on March 28, 1969, gave dollar coin advocates a reason to support the release of a new coin, but a question remained regarding the continued use of the 40% silver composition. The Silver-Clad Eisenhower Dollar Issued as a Compromise It prohibited the production of dollar coins until 1970, at which time Congress would reevaluate the need for such a coin.

This changed with the passage of the Coinage Act of 1965, which removed silver entirely from dimes and quarters and reduced its fineness in the half dollar to 40%. Dollar coins, not produced since 1935, would have also followed suit had production been ongoing.

Before 1965, all United States dimes, quarters, and half dollars were struck in a. At Denver, coin production more-or-less went smoothly, while at Philadelphia, minor tweaks (and possibly die mixups) led to the creation of three major varieties, known by “Ike” collectors as 1972 Type I, Type II, and Type III dollars.Ī second variant of the Eisenhower dollar was produced not for circulation but for collectors and was struck in a 40% silver-clad composition. That there was little demand for the large-format dollar did not dissuade the government from striking almost 170 million coins at the Denver and Philadelphia mints. A number of subtle changes were undertaken by the Mint’s engraving department, including a mid-year change in the quality of die steel used to strike the hard copper-nickel clad circulating coins. In 1972, a year after the initial buzz… and then thud… of the release of the new Eisenhower dollar coin, the United States Mint continued its work to refine and improve Cheif Engraver Frank Gasparro’s design.

1972: A Make-or-Break Year for the Eisenhower Dollar The 1972-S Eisenhower Dollar graded by MS68* by NGC sold for $1,800 at a April 2021 Stack’s Bowers auction.

1972 eisenhower gold dollar value