The Susan B. Anthony dollar was first made available in 1979 by the United States Mint. The coin was comprised of 91.67% Copper and 8.33% Nickel.
At the time the mint had high expectations for how successful this new, smaller dollar currency would circulate in the US.
The Treasury Department wanted to do away with one-dollar bills made of paper in order to save production expenses by millions of dollars annually.
This coin pays tribute to a trailblazer in the fight for women’s rights. A key figure in the women’s suffrage movement, Susan B. Anthony was an American social reformer and women’s rights advocate.
She gathered anti-slavery petitions when she was 17 years old. She was raised in a Quaker family that was dedicated to social equality.
She was appointed the American Anti-Slavery Society’s agent for the state of New York in 1856.
Gasparro, the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, created both the obverse and reverse. On the obverse, close to the lower right corner of the portrait, are his initials.