Silver 'Blue Ikes' (BU) and 'Brown Ikes' (proof) sold directly to collectors; ~50 million total silver pieces.
The Eisenhower dollar honored both the general-president and the Apollo 11 landing — Gasparro's eagle-over-the-moon reverse is the only circulating US coin born of spaceflight. Circulation versions were copper-nickel; only the San Francisco collector strikes carried 40% silver, packaged in the blue envelopes and brown boxes that named them.
The Ike is the last true 'cartwheel'-size US dollar — 38.1mm, the same diameter as the Morgan.
Check these before treating any coin as melt. Think you have one? Check recent auction records before selling, and read the grading basics first.
Never clean a coin. Ever. Cleaning permanently destroys collector value — dark original toning is worth more than shiny damage.
Gear that settles it: an electromagnetic verifier, a calibrated scale and calipers — counterfeit basics.
Only S-mint collector issues 1971-1976 - 40% silver, 0.3161 ozt, about $22 at $69 spot. All circulation Ikes are clad.
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