The First American Dollar Coins

The first U.S. dollar coin was the Flowing Hair silver dollar of 1794-1795. It was replaced in 1795 by the Draped Bust dollar, which was struck until 1804. After a hiatus of several years, one-dollar coins resumed with the Liberty Seated design. This was followed by the Trade dollar, which was issued primarily for use in commerce with China.

The King of America’s Coins

Few coins have captured the interest of the public like the Morgan dollar. This series was named after its designer, George T. Morgan. The 1-dollar coins circulated mainly in the West, where the cowboys dubbed them "cartwheels." This was partly because of their hefty size and weight – and partly due to the way light is sometimes reflected off of the coins.

Many of these coins were struck at mints that are no longer in service – like Carson City and New Orleans – and the series brought us a number of low-mintage issues as well. In 1964, decades after the Morgan dollar design had been discontinued, a forgotten hoard was discovered in the U.S. Treasury vaults and sold to collectors. Now, more than 140 years after its debut, this series still captivates collectors. They are so popular, in fact, the U.S. Mint re-introduced the Morgan dollar in 2021 – this time in 99.9% pure silver.

A Coin to Honor Peace

As weary troops returned home at the end of World War I, most nations adopted symbols of peace. The United States chose a silver dollar, with a design selected from a competition among the top medalists of the era. After the production of Peace dollars was stopped in 1935, no U.S. dollar coins were issued until the Eisenhower dollar was introduced in 1971. Peace dollars remain popular with collectors. And like Morgan dollars, they were reintroduced in 2021 as 99.9% pure silver dollar coins.

America’s Last Large-Size Dollar

The Eisenhower dollar honors World War II hero and 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Sometimes called “Ike dollars,” they were the first U.S. dollar series struck in a clad composition. These were also America's last large-size dollar coins issued for circulation.

Small-Size Dollar Coins Debut

In 1979, a new, smaller-sized U.S. dollar coin debuted. Rather than a U.S. president, it featured 19th-century suffragist and women’s rights activist Susan B. Anthony. Struck only from 1979-1981 and again in 1999, this short-lived dollar series is popular with collectors!

After the Anthony dollar came new "golden" dollars. Struck in a copper-manganese composition, these coins have honored Sacagawea and Native American contributions (Native American & Sacagawea Coins), U.S. presidents (Presidential Dollar Coins) and U.S. innovations (Innovation Dollar Coins).