1979 Near Date Susan B. Anthony Dollars

PCGS - The Susan B. Anthony dollar was initially released to the public on July 2, 1979, amid great fanfare. It was the dawning of a new era, as the "Susie B." was not only the first small-size dollar coin issued by the United States Mint, but it was also the first regularly circulating United States coin to feature an actual woman. Anthony was an iconic suffragette who lived from 1820 through 1906 and championed for women's rights and the abolition of slavery. While attributed to her are many famous quotes such as, "there never will be complete equality until women themselves help to make law and elect lawmakers," she sadly did not live long enough to see the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 that gave women in the United States the right to vote.



As the first Susan B. Anthony dollars rolled off the presses, there was much anticipation in the public about seeing the new coin in-hand. The United States Mint helped drum up the buzz with a lavish marketing campaign aimed at the many advantages a small-size dollar had over the larger-size dollar coins that that came before it, including its lighter, slimmer size and 11-sided rim - unique among American coinage, just like the woman honored on the new coin itself. This, along with the 30-year average lifespan promised for each of these round dollars assured the public it would save millions in taxpayer money making these dollar coins at 3 cents apiece versus spending 2 cents per dollar bill, which might last just 24 months in circulation.

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