MELT VALUES / MODERN
Eisenhower Dollar (Clad, 1971–1978)
Designer
Frank Gasparro
Years struck
1971–1978
Mints
Philadelphia, Denver (D)
~570 million struck; the last big-format dollar before the mini SBA.
THE STORY
Too big for pockets and unloved by commerce, the clad Ike circulated mainly in casinos. It died in 1978, replaced by the equally unloved Susan B. Anthony — proving that America's dollar-coin problem was never about size.
Ikes are the cheapest way to own a physically massive US dollar — many trade barely above their $0.28 melt.
KEY DATES WORTH REAL MONEY
Check these before treating any coin as melt.
| 1972 Type 2 | High-relief earth variety from proof dies — the clad key |
| 1776-1976 Type 1 | Bold-letter Bicentennial variety |
Think you have one? Check recent auction records before selling — and read our grading basics first.
SPECIFICATIONS
Grading: where wear shows first
Bag marks everywhere - big soft coins in big bags. Genuinely mark-free Ikes are the condition rarities of the 1970s.
Never clean a coin. Ever. Cleaning permanently destroys collector value — dark original toning is worth more than shiny damage.
Counterfeit check
None.
Gear that settles it: an electromagnetic verifier, a calibrated scale and calipers — counterfeit basics.
QUESTIONS PEOPLE ACTUALLY ASK
Is my Eisenhower dollar worth more than a dollar?
Clad circulation Ikes: barely, except nice uncirculated pieces and the 1972 Type 2 variety. The metal is worth about 28 cents.
Coin image: Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 — James St. John.
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