Ah, the 1980 Susan B. Anthony dollar, the coin that was famously mistaken for a quarter and spent on laundry with alarming frequency. If you've found one, you're probably hoping it's your ticket to early retirement. Let's manage those expectations, shall we?
For the vast majority of these coins, their value is, well, exactly one dollar. If your 1980 dollar has seen the inside of a cash register, a vending machine, or your grandpa's pocket, it's considered circulated and is worth its face value. It’s the coin world's participation trophy.
However, if you have one that's been living a sheltered life and is still shiny and new (what collectors call "uncirculated"), it might be worth a little more. The value depends on where it was minted, which you can tell by the little letter on the front. A 1980-P (from Philadelphia) or a 1980-D (from Denver) in pristine, uncirculated condition might fetch you around $5. The 1980-S (from San Francisco) does slightly better, potentially earning you about $7.
Now, for the fancy folks, there are the proof coins, which were made specially for collectors. A standard 1980-S proof coin is worth around $8. But here's where you should lean in. There's a specific variety of this proof coin called the "Clear S" or "Type 2," where the S mint mark is sharp and well-defined instead of looking like a bit of a blob. If you have this clearer version, you could be looking at a value closer to $60.
So, before you feed it to a gumball machine, check its condition and mint mark. It's almost certainly worth a dollar, but on the off chance it's a pristine "Clear S" proof, it might just buy you a very nice dinner.
