1981 Susan B. Anthony Dollar

About This Coin

The 1981 Susan B. Anthony Dollar is a United States dollar from the Susan B. Anthony Dollars 1979-1999 series — 3rd of 4 years in the series. In 1981, coins were struck at the San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Denver Mints with a combined mintage of 17.9 million. This represents the lowest annual mintage in the entire series, below the series median of 67.7 million. The obverse features Susan B. Anthony facing right, the first woman depicted on a U.S. circulating coin and the reverse displays an eagle landing on the moon, adapted from the Apollo 11 mission patch. Struck only for inclusion in official Mint Sets and proof sets — no business strikes were released for circulation, making 1981 issues the scarcest SBA dollars. Struck in 75% copper, 25% nickel over a pure copper center, weighing 8.1 grams, 26.5 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $1 to $163 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $22K in MS67+ grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Frank Gasparro.