Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia

1776-1976-D Copper-Nickel Clad $1

Coinage Context

High mintage and availability: The total mintage of this date is among the highest in the entire series, and specimens are generally available in all grades, both circulated and Uncirculated.

Numismatic Information

Availability: Eisenhower dollar specialist Dave McHenry noted this:
1976-D Variety II: This is the second most common (after 1976 Variety II) Eisenhower dollar, but is usually seen with more bagmarks than its Philadelphia Mint counterpart.(This opinion of availability is shared by Jim Reardon of Littleton Coin Co., per letter of January 4, 1993.) Many of the Bicentennial dollars were kept as souvenirs by the public.

Planchet error: Some silver clad planchets were used in error to produce 1976-D dollars. These were discovered about 1978, and are extremely rare. In his book on the subject of Eisenhower dollars (published in 1986), Alan Hager stated that he has seen two Uncirculated specimens of this coin, and estimates that perhaps as many as 12 pieces exist. It is not known if others exist, but this date in 40% silver composition must be among the rarest of all the Eisenhower dollar issues.

Varieties
Business strikes:
VARIETY II: Issue of 1976
THIN, TALL, OVAL LETTER O's.

1. 1776-1976-D copper-nickel clad.
2.1776-1976-D silver clad. Mint error from use of wrong planchet. Two specimens have been reported.

1776-1976-D Eisenhower: Market Values

COPPER-NICKEL CLAD

1776-1976-D Eisenhower: Summary of Characteristics

Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of July 23, 1965 (clad metal), Act of December 31, 1970, Act of October 18, 1973, Act of December 26, 1974, and others.
Designer of obverse: Frank Gasparro.
Designer of reverse: Dennis Williams.
Weight (copper-nickel clad): 350 grains (tolerance 4%); outer layers of .750 copper and .250 nickel bonded to inner core of pure copper.
Dies prepared (approximate): Obverse: 822; Reverse: 411.
Business strike mintage: 82,179,564.
Comment on availability, MS-65 or better: Common.
Comment on availability, MS-64: Common.
Comment on availability, MS-63: Common.
Comment on. availability, MS-60to 62: Commonest category of all for Mint State coins.
Comment on availability, VF-20 to AU-58: Common.
Characteristics of striking: Some striking weakness is often seen on the reverse, but sharp specimens of the date are available without much searching.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: None reported.

Proofs:
None.

Commentary
Common in all grades.