SBA Collection 1979 - 81 & 99 - 15 coin set - UNC & Proof

In 1979, the US Mint unveiled its first ever ‘mini-dollar’, the Susan B Anthony. It was released with great fanfare and lofty expectations; it was to supposed to usher in a new era of American commerce. These “mini-dollars” were produced as a response to the Mint’s recent failure in convincing the public to replace dollar bills with silver Eisenhower Dollars. Many individuals found the Silver Dollars to be too heavy to carry, and thanks to the super-lightweight nature of dollar bills, production was halted shortly thereafter.

The Susan B. Anthony Dollars are some of the most unique coins in United States history and is considered a collector ‘must have’ due to its historical significance in the United States Mint’s Silver Dollar Program! And with the ‘secret mintage’ produced in 1999, this complete Susan B. Anthony Collection is an absolute must have!

Many believe that the Susan B. Anthony Dollar is special because it was a ‘first’ for the United States Mint…but, the reason it is so special is because it is actually three firsts in one coin! The SBA Dollars were the first ‘Mini-Dollars’ ever struck by the United States mint, while also being the first coin ever produced by the United States Mint for circulation bearing the image of a woman: American woman’s rights’ leader Susan B. Anthony. Not only was it a groundbreaking coin in its size and image, but it was also signified a first in the production process as well…It was also the first time in US History that the US Mint used the reverse design from a prior release! (The Susan B. Anthony Dollars have the Apollo reverse design from the Eisenhower Dollar before it)

Sadly, even being a 3-time United States Mint ‘first’ coin was not enough to save these special “mini-dollars” and they too were discontinued from production after a short 3 year mintage. Much like the Eisenhower Dollars before them, the Susan B. Anthony Dollars downfall was directly linked to its everyday use…American’s were confusing them with their quarters in their pockets due to their small size and thus refused to carry them!

As the massive stockpiles of Susan B. Anthony dollars struck 20 years earlier finally dwindled at the United Sates Mint, one final year of Susan B. Anthony Dollars was approved and produced to meet the monetary needs of the nation. This 18 year span represented the longest gap between two dates of the same series in the history of U.S. coinage.

Traditionally, the US Mint features every circulating coin design for every issue made each year in the Official US Mint Set and Proof Sets. However, neither of the sets released in 1999 had these special Susan B. Anthony dollars…Officially cementing their status as “Secret” among avid coin collectors. Most collectors aren’t aware of their existence to this day – 15 years later!

Three coins were made that year: an uncirculated version from both the Philadelphia & Denver Mints, and a Philadelphia Mint Collector's Proof. The Mint Collectors Proof was the only Philadelphia Mint proof struck in the Susan B Anthony program (the 79, 80 and 81 Proofs were struck at the San Francisco Mint). It was also the first "P" mint proof of a circulating coin since 1964!