1972 Eisenhower Dollar

About This Coin

The 1972 Eisenhower Dollar is a United States dollar from the Eisenhower Dollars 1971-1978 series — the second year of the series. In 1972, coins were struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints with a combined mintage of 324.2 million. This represents the highest annual mintage in the entire series, above the series median of 70.3 million. The obverse features Dwight D. Eisenhower facing left and the reverse displays an eagle landing on the moon with an olive branch in its talons, commemorating the Apollo 11 lunar landing. Three reverse varieties exist: Type 1 (most common), Type 2 (high-relief Earth struck from a proof die, scarce), and Type 3 (refined design used from 1973 onward). Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel over a pure copper center, 38.5 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Collectors have cataloged 54 known die varieties for this date across 7 categories, including atypical die clash, cud, doubled die obverse and 4 other types. Struck one year before the 1973 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $1 to $39 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $14K in MS66 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Frank Gasparro/Michael Collins & James Cooper.