Most Eisenhower dollars are worth one to two dollars. The coins made for circulation from 1971 to 1978 at Philadelphia and Denver are copper-nickel clad, with no silver at all, and a worn one sells for about face value. The Ikes worth more are the 40 percent silver collector coins struck at San Francisco with an S mint mark, sold in blue envelopes and brown boxes, which are worth approximately their silver content of $9 to $16 depending on the silver price. Beyond that, the 1972 Type 2 reverse is worth tens to hundreds of dollars, a few clad-date coins struck on silver blanks are worth thousands, and any Ike in exceptional uncirculated condition can be worth hundreds because so few survived without marks.
Quick answer
- Clad Ikes are worth $1-2 circulated and $3-10 uncirculated.
- Check for an S mint mark and weigh it: 40% silver coins weigh about 24.6 g.
- Silver S coins are worth their melt plus a little; the 1972 Type 2 and top grades more.
How to check yours, step by step
A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 gram does more for Ike dollars than any magnifier. Have one ready, along with a 5x or 10x loupe.
- Read the date and mint mark. Both are on the obverse. The date sits at the bottom, and the mint mark is just above it, below Eisenhower's neck: no letter for Philadelphia, D for Denver, S for San Francisco. A bicentennial coin shows the double date 1776-1976 instead of a single year.
- Note the reverse design. An eagle landing on the moon with the Earth in the background, adapted from the Apollo 11 insignia, is used on every year except the bicentennial. Bicentennial coins show the Liberty Bell superimposed on the moon.
- Look at the edge. Circulation Ikes have a bright copper stripe running around the edge. The 40 percent silver S coins show a much fainter grayish stripe because their core is a copper and silver alloy.
- Weigh any S coin. A clad Ike weighs about 22.7 grams. A 40 percent silver Ike weighs about 24.6 grams. That difference of about 2 grams is easy to read on a kitchen scale, and it is the most reliable way to separate silver from clad, especially outside the original packaging.
- On a 1972 with no mint mark, check the Earth on the reverse. The scarce Type 2 reverse shows a rounder, more strongly modeled Earth with the Caribbean islands below Florida clearly separated, and the eagle's feathers are cut more deeply. On the common Type 1 the Earth looks flatter and the islands are faint or merged. The differences are subtle, so compare against labeled reference photos of all three 1972 reverse types.
- On a bicentennial coin, look at the reverse lettering. Type 1 has bold, thick block letters in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR. Type 2 has thinner, more delicate lettering. Both types are common, but the distinction matters in uncirculated grades.
- Judge the surface last. Proofs have mirror fields and frosted designs. Uncirculated coins have even luster with no wear on Eisenhower's cheek or the eagle's breast. Ikes were struck on hard clad blanks and handled roughly in bags, so even unworn coins often carry nicks and marks.
Eisenhower dollar values by type
These are approximate values for original coins without cleaning, heavy marks or corrosion. Silver coin values below assume silver at about $40 an ounce.
| Coin | How to recognize it | Circulated | Uncirculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clad, 1971 to 1978, P and D | No S, copper edge stripe, about 22.7 g | $1-2 | $3-10 |
| 1973-P and 1973-D | Clad, only sold in Mint sets | $5-10 | $10-25 |
| 1972 Type 2 reverse | No mint mark, rounder Earth with clear islands | $15-50 | $75-300, more in top grades |
| 1976 Type 1 and Type 2, clad | Bicentennial, bold or thin lettering | $1-2 | $3-10 |
| 40% silver uncirculated, 1971-S to 1974-S ("blue Ike") | S mint mark, about 24.6 g, blue envelope | Not usually worn | $13-25 |
| 40% silver proof, 1971-S to 1974-S ("brown Ike") | Mirror proof, brown box | Not applicable | $13-30 |
| 1976-S 40% silver, uncirculated or proof | Bicentennial, from three-piece silver sets | Not applicable | $13-25 |
| Clad proof, 1973-S to 1978-S | Mirror proof, copper edge, about 22.7 g | Not applicable | $5-20 |
| Clad date struck on a 40% silver blank | 1974-D or 1977-D weighing about 24.6 g | Thousands | Thousands |
Any uncirculated clad Ike in a high grade such as MS66 or better can be worth $50 to several hundred dollars, and the finest known examples of some dates sell for thousands. That only applies to coins that show almost no marks under a loupe, which is rare for this series. Typical uncirculated coins from rolls and Mint sets are worth the $3-10 shown above.
The 40 percent silver S coins and the melt math
From 1971 to 1974, the Mint struck Eisenhower dollars at San Francisco for collectors in a silver clad composition. The outer layers are 80 percent silver and the core is about 21 percent silver, giving an overall 40 percent. Each coin contains about 0.3161 troy ounces of pure silver. Melt value is 0.3161 times the spot price:
| Silver spot price | Melt value per 40% Ike |
|---|---|
| $30 per ounce | About $9.48 |
| $40 per ounce | About $12.64 |
| $50 per ounce | About $15.81 |
Uncirculated coins were sealed in plastic inside a blue envelope and are known as blue Ikes. Proofs came in a brown box and are known as brown Ikes. Both sell at a small premium over melt, and the boxes and envelopes add a little more when they are in good condition. In 1976 the silver bicentennial coins were sold in three-piece sets with the quarter and half dollar, as uncirculated and proof versions. Silver Ikes were never released for circulation, so a worn silver Ike is unusual and usually came from a broken set that was spent or handled.
Not every S mint Ike is silver. From 1973 to 1978 the Mint also struck clad proofs at San Francisco for regular proof sets. The weight and the edge tell them apart: clad proofs weigh about 22.7 grams and show a copper stripe.
The 1972 reverse types
Philadelphia struck 1972 Ikes with three slightly different reverses. Type 1 has a low relief Earth. Type 2 uses a high relief reverse, originally made for proofs, and is the scarce one, found only on 1972 coins with no mint mark. Type 3 is a modified high relief design and is the most common. The Type 2 brings tens of dollars in circulated condition and much more in high uncirculated grades. Many coins sold as Type 2 are actually Type 3, so a good macro photo of the Earth and the eagle's breast is essential before paying a premium.
Errors and rolls
Genuine striking errors on Ikes, such as off-center strikes, clipped planchets and broadstrikes, sell for tens to hundreds of dollars because the large coin shows them clearly. The rarest errors are the clad-date coins struck on 40 percent silver blanks mentioned in the table, which weigh like silver coins but carry a D mint mark or no mint mark. Original bank rolls of clad Ikes sell for a modest premium over face, and are mostly of interest because they can hold sharp coins that grade well.
The bicentennial Ike
The bicentennial reverse was designed by Dennis Williams, a student at the time, and the dollar was one of three coins redesigned for 1976. Early strikes had bold block lettering on the reverse, later called Type 1. The Mint refined the lettering to a thinner, cleaner style for most of the production, called Type 2. Both exist from Philadelphia and Denver and both are common in circulated condition. The bicentennial dollar was saved in large numbers, which is why worn ones are worth only face to a dollar or two over. The bicentennial quarter guide covers the matching 25 cent coin.
Common mistakes
- Assuming every Ike is a silver dollar. People call them silver dollars because of their size, but the circulation coins have no silver. Only S mint collector coins from 1971 to 1974 and the 1976-S silver sets contain silver.
- Assuming every S mint Ike is silver. The 1973-S to 1978-S clad proofs are not. Weigh it.
- Overpaying for a 1972 "Type 2". Type 3 coins are often sold under the Type 2 name. Compare the Earth and feather details carefully.
- Expecting a premium for the bicentennial date. Hundreds of millions were made. The double date is special, but it is not scarce.
- Breaking up original packaging. Blue envelopes and brown boxes add a small amount of value and help confirm the coin is silver.
- Cleaning proofs. Proofs tone and haze over time. Rubbing them leaves hairlines on the mirror fields and lowers their value below melt plus premium.
- Comparing with Morgan and Peace dollars. Older silver dollars, such as the Morgan dollar and Peace dollar, are 90 percent silver and carry far more metal. An Ike is a different coin with a different floor.
What to photograph
Daylight from a window, no flash, and the phone held parallel to the coin give the clearest results.
- The obverse straight on, with the date and the mint mark area sharp.
- The reverse straight on, showing the whole Earth and eagle, or the Liberty Bell.
- A close macro of the Earth and Florida on any 1972 coin with no mint mark, lit from one side.
- A close macro of the reverse lettering on bicentennial coins if the type matters.
- The edge, showing whether the stripe is bright copper or faint gray.
- The scale reading for any S mint coin out of its package.
- The original envelope or box, front and back, if it survives.
When to get it looked at in person
Most Ikes do not justify a fee. A clad coin is a dollar, and a silver S coin is worth its metal plus a few dollars, which any coin dealer can confirm on the spot.
- A local coin dealer is the right first stop for silver Ikes and Mint sets. Expect offers close to melt for silver coins and below retail for collector items, often 60-80 percent.
- PCGS or NGC grading costs tens of dollars per coin and up, plus shipping and a membership or dealer submission. It is worth it for a 1972 Type 2 in uncirculated condition, a clad-date coin that weighs like silver, or an Ike that looks nearly flawless under a loupe.
- Variety specialists know the 1972 reverse types and the minor varieties well. A variety attribution on a grading label adds to the price.
For a box of Ikes from an estate, sorting by weight and mint mark first saves time. Anything left after that sort is almost certainly a dollar coin. The inherited coins guide explains how to work through a mixed collection.