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

1971-D Copper-Nickel Clad $1

Coinage Context

Coinage commences: Production of Eisenhower dollars at the Denver Mint began on February 3, 1971. The writer can locate no record of a first-strike ceremony, if there was one.

There was a great demand for dollar-sized coins from the Nevada casinos. It is believed that many if not most of the copper-nickel clad dollar coins used in the gaming houses in that state were from the Denver Mint.

Numismatic Information

Availability: Eisenhower dollar specialist Dave McHenry noted this:

1971-D: This issue is reasonably scarce. Original bag quan-tities exist, but they are not often seen. The strike of the 1971-D is generally good, but the typical coin has many bagmarks. MS-64 and MS-65 specimens arc difficult to obtain.

Certification: The 1971-D is another date where some diligent searching will reward the seeker of high-quality pieces. The January 1993 PCGS Population Report reveals 181 coins at the MS-65 grade level, with four coins graded MS-66 and none higher. There have been heavier submissions of this date than its Philadelphia counterpart.

Varieties
Business strikes:
1. 1971-D: All are of one standard variety.

1971-D Eisenhower:3Market Values

Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of July 23, 1965 (clad metal), Act of December 31, 1970, and others.
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: 686; Reverse: 343.
Business strike mintage: 68,587,424.
Comment on availability, MS-65 or better: As is the case with the 1971 dollar, this issue is scarce in MS-65. Relatively few survive.
Comment on availability, MS-64: Quite scarce.
Comment on availability, MS-63: Readily available, but scarcer than following.
Comment on availability, MS-60 to 62: Common.
Comment on availability, VF-20 to AU-58: Most sur-vivors of this date are in this grade range.
Characteristics of striking: Usually fairly well struck, but bag marked.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: Bag quantities exist but seldom come on the market.

Proofs:
None.

Commentary
Scarce in grades of MS-64 and MS-65.