
The amount of silver in a 1971 dollar depends entirely on its mint mark. The majority of 1971 Eisenhower dollars, those intended for general circulation, contain no silver at all. These coins, which bear a "D" for the Denver mint or have no mint mark for the Philadelphia mint, are made of a copper-nickel clad composition.
However, special collector versions of the 1971 Eisenhower dollar were struck at the San Francisco mint and do contain silver. These coins are identifiable by an "S" mint mark located on the obverse side, just above the date. The 1971-S Eisenhower dollars, available in both proof and uncirculated finishes, are composed of 40% silver.
Therefore, to determine if a 1971 dollar has silver, you must look for the "S" mint mark. If it is a 1971-P or 1971-D coin, it does not have any silver content. Only the 1971-S versions contain the 40% silver composition.


