The 1971-D Friendly Eagle Eisenhower Dollar

PCGS - The Eisenhower dollar was produced from 1971 through 1978 and includes 32 regular-issue uncirculated and proof coins, not to mention a handful of major collectible varieties. And while a typical collector can assemble the 32-piece set with relative ease for less than $1,000, longtime Ike enthusiasts often go beyond the basics. They also pursue the varieties, and among them is the 1971-D Friendly Eagle Eisenhower dollar.


Ike dollar, 1971-D $1 "Friendly Eagle" FS-901 Type 1 Reverse RDV-006, PCGS MS66+

This whimsically named coin, officially known as the 1971-D FS-901 Type I Reverse RDV-006 (Regular Strike) Dollar, is arguably the most widely collected variety among the 1971 Ikes. But how do collectors identify the coin? What are its die diagnostics? And what is this 1971-D Eisenhower dollar variety worth?

Getting to Know the Friendly Eagle

The 1971-D Friendly Eagle Eisenhower dollar is a variety based on the appearance of the eagle on the reverse, anchored by the Apollo 11 insignia emblematic of the 1969 lunar mission that brought humans to the Moon for the first time. On the coin, the eagle typically has a heavy, pronounced eyebrow suggesting a certain fierceness on the large bird of prey. But a small number of 1971-D Eisenhower dollars are graced by an eagle with virtually no evidence of a brow line, giving the bird a much more congenial appearance.

To some, the coin may initially blush as simply having some wear on the high points and thus why the brow line is all but absent. But the numismatic significance of this coin is as a true variety, as there are several other diagnostics one can look for when attributing the 1971-D Friendly Eagle. These are some of the more obvious die markers of the Friendly Eagle variety:

A rounder Earth than seen on other (Type 2) 1971-D Dollars
The Gulf of Mexico appears larger and its northern reaches are more rounded
The Caribbean islands form a nearly solid-looking chain
The large Moon crater has two debris flow lines between the letters "N" and "E" of "ONE"

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