1973 Eisenhower Dollar

In 1973, the United States Mint was in its third year of striking Eisenhower dollars, and while most were made with a copper-nickel clad metal base, some were produced with a 40 percent silver composition for coin collectors.

The 1973 40 percent silver dollars come in two varieties: an uncirculated version that was originally packed in a cellophane holder with an enclosed blue and silver token, and a proof specimen packaged in a hard plastic case which came inside a woodgrain box. The uncirculated silver dollar is often known as a “blue pack” silver dollar (so named thanks to the blue envelope in which it came) and the proof dollar is dubbed the “brown pack,” thanks to the brownish color of its faux-wood box.

While both 1973 issues had a much lower production output than the 1971 and 1972 silver dollars, the 1973-S proof is especially scarce. It is valued at around $45 , though this is a bargain as compared to the $120 (in 1981 dollars) that it was worth in the early 80s. The 1973-S uncirculated Eisenhower dollar has a value of around $23 .

The values for both the 1973-S uncirculated and silver proof dollars goes up dramatically as the coins approach the upper Mint State grades. In fact, any Eisenhower dollar in MS-66 or above is quite a prize.