`Eisenhower Dollars Carry a Little Part of American History - By: Jenna Jones

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was an American leader in many ways: being a five-star general while in the Army, as the Supreme Commander in the German and French invasions during World War II, then serving as the very first Supreme Commander of NATO before becoming president in 1952. He ran for and won two terms which were among the golden years for America, with the only negative event a recession from 1958 - 1959. His landmark achievements ended with him being ranked one of the top ten among the great American presidents. The Eisenhower dollars were minted in 1971 in commemoration of his death in 1969 as well as to honor the achievements done by the Apollo 11 team landing on the moon in the same year.

On the obverse, or face, the profile belonging to the 34th president is displayed, with a mintmark of "D" for Denver or "S" for San Francisco showing where it was minted. Coins minted in Philadelphia do not have a mintmark at all. Coins minted in 1971 have an "FG" on them instead, for the coin's designer, Frank Gasparro. The only part for this coin that changed with each minting was the tail, or the reverse. For its first edition, the reverse displayed an eagle resting on the moon's surface holding an olive branch, the insignia that represented the Apollo 11 Mission. The design was changed for the bicentennial, and although the moon was still present, it had the image belonging to the Liberty Bell in front of it. From 1971 to 1979, these coins weren't widely circulated even if they were known as the first of the coins that were not minted using precious metals. These first coins and also the Bicentennial coins were more prized as keepsakes instead.

There were, though, silver-clad issues that were minted especially for collectors. Although, these coins aren't created using pure silver but cut with copper then plated with 40% silver. They weren't made for circulation but were only proofs, otherwise known as "Brown Ikes" or uncirculated or named "Blue Ikes". These coins aren't especially valuable, and still have not gone beyond their face value of a single dollar. However, these are still fairly new coins, despite not being circulated for quite a few years. Although this will be a keepsake for most people, you will not find any value in this coin.

About the Author

The Eisenhower Dollars were issued to honor the former President and 5 Star General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The first coin released was the 1971 Eisenhower Dollar, which hold an important place for collectors.

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