A 'Secret' Silver Dollar Find from 1971: Stunning Uncirculated Silver Eisenhower Dollars

The Eisenhower Dollar marked its debut with significant anticipation, heralding the return of the silver dollar to U.S. currency after a 35-year break. This coin, distinguished as the last 'Jumbo Dollar' circulated by the U.S. Mint, saw its most notable coins from its inaugural year never enter general circulation—the rare San Francisco Mint Silver Dollars.

During a coin show in Colorado, we stumbled upon an extraordinary collection of 'secret' Uncirculated Silver Eisenhower Dollars from 1971, leading to this exclusive offer.

The 1971 Eisenhower Dollar: Over 100 Million Strong

The Philadelphia and Denver Mints produced the new Eisenhower Dollar for circulation in a novel metal composition for the U.S. Mint: copper-nickel clad, also known among collectors as 'cupro-nickel clad'. The popularity and widespread production resulted in over 100 million circulating Eisenhower Dollars from these mints in 1971, surpassing the production of its predecessor, the Peace Dollar, in its last decade.

However, the San Francisco Mint's select Proof and Uncirculated silver issues from 1971 are among the most coveted in the Eisenhower Dollar series.

The Old Granite Lady’s ‘Secret’ Eisenhower Dollars

In 1971, the San Francisco Mint introduced two silver Eisenhower Dollar editions: an Uncirculated version (the 'blue pack', named for its distinctive packaging) and a Proof version (the 'brown pack'). Neither edition was released into circulation, making them prized pieces for collectors. These 'secret' sets, produced from 1971 to 1974, are considered essential to any Eisenhower Dollar collection.

While not intentionally a 'secret', the existence of these coins remains largely unknown, positioning them as crucial 'secret collector’s coins'. Their appeal is not just in their story but also in their scarcity—less than 3% of all first-year 1971 Eisenhower Dollars were produced as San Francisco Mint silvers, underscoring their status among collectors.