We are excited to release the sixth coin in the CollecTons Keepers program, an exclusive series only offered by CollecTons. The sixth coin we present, CollecTons Keepers #6 in Series, features the rare 1976-S Eisenhower Bicentennial Proof Silver Dollar.
Why is the 1976-S Eisenhower Bicentennial Proof Silver Dollar a Coin Worth Keeping?
The American Revolutionary Bicentennial Commission (ARBC) was established in 1966 to organize the U.S. Mint's celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the United States' independence. The ARBC committee recommended that the mint redesign all of the circulating U.S. Coins in honor of the Bicentennial. Mary Brooks, the U.S. Mint director at the time, strongly opposed this redesign. The committee and Brooks worked to reach a compromise, the quarter, half dollar and dollar coins would have a special Bicentennial reverse and bare the dates 1776-1976. All coins of the three denominations were to be minted for delivery after the 4th of July, 1975 and prior to the end of the Bicentennial year. Fearing that a low mintage of the coins bearing the date 1975 would create a hoarding situation, the Mint obtained legislation allowing them to continue to mint the three denominations with the date 1974 until it began producing the Bicentennial pieces.
The redesign of the reverse was determined via a public contest. There were nearly 1000 designs submitted for consideration. A design from Dennis R. Williams, a 22 year old student at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio, was chosen for the Eisenhower Dollar. Dennis said that he had been given the project as an assignment from one of his instructors. At the time, Williams was the youngest person in U.S. History to have had a design featured on a U.S. coin. The design depicted the Liberty Bell super imposed over the moon, which worked well with the previous reverse design of the Eisenhower Dollar featuring the Apollo 11 insignia of an eagle landing on the moon. The design was well received by the public but was criticized by many in the numismatic community because the Liberty Bell had already been featured on the Franklin Half Dollar.
The minting of the Proof Silver Clad Bicentennial Dollars began at the San Francisco Mint on April 23, 1975. These were minted for distribution to the public in a set, each containing a Proof Silver Clad dollar, half dollar and quarter. The only way to get a Proof Silver Clad Bicentennial Dollar at the time was by purchasing one of these sets at a premium from the U.S. Mint.
Today, the 1976-S Eisenhower Bicentennial Proof Silver Dollar is still a highly sought after modern rarity due its historical significance and high demands. It is an essential piece to any Eisenhower Dollar set.
Coin Specifications
Year: 1976
Mint: San Francisco
Mintage: 4,000,000 (mintage is approximate)
Designer: Frank Gasparro and Dennis R. Williams
Composition: 40% silver; .800 silver and .200 copper with an inner core of .209 silver and .794 copper
Weight: 24.59 grams
Diameter: 38.1mm
Edge: Reeded
What makes the Collectons Keepers program special?
Here at CollecTons, we work hard researching coins that should be part of every collection. Our goal is to utilize our knowledge in the numismatic industry to select coins worthy of being in everyone's collection! Therefore, the CollecTons Keepers program will only feature those Coins Worth Keeping.
Each coin is hand selected and given to ANACS (America's Oldest Grading Service) for grading and authentication. The coins are then sealed in an ANACS certified proprietary slab holder for long-term storage, with our limited edition label marking it a CollecTons Keeper.
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