The 1981-S MS SBA Dollar, a modern clad coin that has stood the test of time.
Cuprinkor
Posts: 341 ✭✭✭
As CN modern clad coins have been submitted for grading over the years and their populations in higher grades have risen (including Ike Dollars), there is one coin whose population has remained relatively static in MS66/better. That coin is the 1981 San Francisco "circulation" strike issue. This coin (and its Philadelphia & Denver siblings) was struck only for inclusion in the 1981 mint set. None were made for general circulation.
Since the 1990's (because probably no one submitted these prior) PCGS has graded only 165 in MS66, 1 in MS66+, and just 3 in MS67. No new MS67's have been graded in the last 14-15 years.
This issue is plagued with drab, lackluster surfaces and/or marks from mint counting machines. There are specimens that are well struck with flashy clad luster only to have been impaired by these counting machines. This coin should definitely hold its value and increase as time goes on and new SBA $1 collectors emerge.
Perhaps more coin hunters will focus on this issue and look for coins to certify at PCGS to make MS66/better specimens and make available on the market for collectors.
Time will tell.
Comments
I searched hundreds of 1981 mint sets in the early 1990's when you could buy them for $6-7.
99% of 1981-s SBA's I looked at were grade-impaired by small patches of parallel lines gouged into each obverse. If you were lucky, the scrape was concealed in the hair. I think I made 3-4 in ms66, none better.
The SBA was the only S-mint coin in the set. The 1981-p and 1981-d mint set SBA's did not exhibit similar gouges, nor did the other P&D coins in 1981 mint sets.
I conclude that the scrapes were imparted by at the SF mint - perhaps a counting machine bagging them for shipment to wherever the mint sets were assembled.
The only NGC MS67+ 1981-S SBA $1 realized over $20,000(!!!) in an HA.com auction back in October 2022. Don't know what a PCGS MS67 example would bring today.
So all of the 1981 SBAs came from the 1981 mint sets or special 3 coin SBA sets?
I have looked at a couple hundred 1981-S's and all seem in the 63/4 area. I think I got a roll of them, so someone must have assembled it from mint sets?
They were most likely assembled from mint set cut outs.
A semi-famous dollar collector ((who sold his 1794-date dollar collection at auction a number of years ago) reached out to me to buy some of the tougher modern dollars when he was towards the end of assembling the entire collection. At the time, I had the 81-S SBA in MS66+ that I pulled from a mint set in the 1980’s. I quoted the collector a strong price for the MS66+ as I told him that in my opinion the coin was an MS67. I proposed that he could buy the coin from me and I would be happy to try to upgrade his coin and if it upgraded I would earn a few thousand dollar bonus as the coin would be quite valuable. He quickly agreed. Of course, the coin upgraded the first time through PCGS. LOL.
I’ve only maybe seen one or two coins of that date about the same quality of that MS67 coin in my 40+ year hunt. Meanwhile, the hunt continues for all premium quality 1981 SBA coins.
Wondercoin
I've always liked the 81-P SBA in MS67 as well.
I was looking in the redbook and all three 1981 mint issues have different mintages. What is the explanation for that?