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

1980-S Anthony Dollar

Coinage Context

Lowest mintage: The 1980-S Anthony dollar has the lowest mintage of the three issues of the year. Relatively few circulated at the time. Proofs were sold in sets, 1¢ to $1, to collectors.

Numismatic Information

Availability: The 1980-S Anthony dollar is readily available in Mint State and Proof grades. In Mint State; the San Francisco issue sells at a slight premium above its Philadelphia and Denver counterparts.

Proofs:

Mint sets: 2,815,066 Uncirculated 1980-S Anthony dollars were included in Mint sets sold by the Treasury to collectors; these sets contained the 1980-P, D and S dollars, plus other denominations cent through half dollar-total face value, $4.82; issue price of set: $9.00.

1. 1980-S. All are of the same variety. Open S mintmark, of the type made in November and December of 1979. Despite occasional rumors to the contrary, none of the old-style Worn S Punch variety have been reported. (Per Alan Herbert and Walter H. Breen, communications to the author in 1993.)

1980-S Anthony: Market Values

1980-S Anthony: Summary of Characteristics

Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of July 23, 1965 (clad metal), Act of October 10, 1978, and others.
Designer: Frank Gasparro.
Weight and composition: 125 grains (tolerance 4%); outer layers of .750 copper and .250 nickel bonded to inner core of pure copper.
Business strike mintage: 20,422,000.
Comment on availability, MS-65 or better: Very common, but in a relative sense, scarcer than its Philadelphia or Denver counterparts.
Comment on availability, MS-64: Comment as preceding.
Comment on availability, MS-63: Common.
Comment on availability, MS-60 to 62: Most extant Mint State coins are at this level.
Comment on availability, VF-20 to AU-58: Relatively few are known in this range, as few were placed into circulation.
Characteristics of striking: Most are sharply struck. Known hoards of Mint State coins: Quantities are held by the U.S. Treasury (as of 1993).

Proofs:
Proof mintage: 3,544,806.
Comment on availability, Proof-65 or better: Common. Most specimens are in this grade level.
Comment on availability, Proof-64: Common.
Comment on availability, Proof-63: Less common.
Comment on availability, Proof-60 to 62: Scarce, as relatively few have been cleaned or mishandled (yet).
Comment on availability, less than Proof-60: Comment as preceding, but scarcer still. Of course, in such instances scarceness does not translate into desirability.

Commentary
The 1980-S is the lowest mintage issue of the year.