In addition to the five regular Proof Set coins, this Set contains the first year of the Susan B. Anthony Dollar. The Anthony Dollar represents the first time that a woman has appeared on a circulating coin. This new dollar design was very likely the cause of the increase in Proof Set sales, increasing from 3,127,781 sets in 1978 to 3,677,175 sets in 1979. The original issue price remained the same, at $9.00. The Proof coins in the sets have 2 different styles of mint marks – Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 mint marks are clear and flat on top, while Type 1 mint marks have the area inside the letter filled. Fewer Type 2 examples exist. JM Bullion currently has these 1979 US Mint Proof Sets available for purchase.
Coin Highlights:
- Received in a black plastic holder with an outer box!
- Contains six 1979 coins from the US Mint!
- Face value in US dollars is displayed on each coin.
- Unique obverse and reverse designs appear on each denomination.
- Proof visuals.
- Total of 3,677,175 proof sets were issued in 1979.
- Please note – some sets may be missing the outer envelope/sleeve/box.
The 1979 Proof Set contains one each of the Lincoln Cent, Jefferson Nickel, Roosevelt Dime, Washington Quarter, Kennedy Half Dollar, and the new Susan B. Anthony Dollar.
This year saw the introduction of the Susan B. Anthony Dollar, replacing the Eisenhower Dollar. Size-wise, the Anthony Dollar is slightly larger than the Washington Quarter but slightly smaller than the Eisenhower Dollar. Due to this smaller dollar size, accommodations had to be made within the packaging to hold the Anthony Dollar. The Anthony Dollar is inserted into a round plastic ring which is then placed into the larger spot held by the Eisenhower Dollar. The rest of the packaging remained the same from the previous year.
The obverse of the Anthony Dollar features a right-facing profile of social reformer Susan B. Anthony. US Mint Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro was given the task of creating a design for the new dollar coin. His initial design depicted a bust of Liberty, which Treasury officials recommended be accepted. However, in 1978, legislation was introduced that instead mandated a design of Susan B. Anthony rather than Liberty. Several women’s organizations also recommended Susan B. Anthony, stating that it was long overdue for the likeness of a prominent American woman to appear on a coin. They also strongly believed that the likeness should be that of an actual woman.
The reverse of the Anthony Dollar features an eagle, in flight, clutching a laurel branch in its talons. The eagle is flying over the landscape of the moon, and there is an image of the earth just above and to the left of his head. This design was created by Frank Gasparro, and is based upon the Apollo 11 mission insignia. This is the same reverse design as the Eisenhower Dollar.
If you have any questions, our JM Bullion Customer Service team will be happy to answer them. We can be reached via phone at 800-276-6508, via online live chat, or via email.