Ike and Susan B. Anthony Dollars

Above, a 1978 Eisenhower and 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollars. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Two more coins I found this morning from the box of stuff from the strongbox were a 1978 Eisenhower dollar (also called the Ike dollar) and a 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar. 

Neither are worth too much, maybe a little bit over denominational value. Of the two, the Anthony dollar is probably worth less than the Eisenhower dollar. It was just an unpopular coin, it is about the size of a quarter. Since it was introduced during the administration of President Jimmy Carter, critics called the Susan B. Anthony dollar the "J.C. penny".

On the Susan B. Anthony dollar, from Wikipedia:

The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. Intended as a replacement for the larger Eisenhower dollar, the new smaller one-dollar coin went through testing of several shapes and compositions, but all were opposed by the vending machine industry, a powerful lobby affecting coin legislation. Finally, a round planchet with an eleven-sided inner border was chosen for the smaller dollar.

The original design for the smaller dollar coin depicted an allegorical representation of Liberty on the obverse, but organizations and individuals in Congress called for the coin to depict a real woman. Several proposals were submitted, and social reformer Susan B. Anthony was selected as the design subject. The reverse design of the Eisenhower dollar was retained, an engraving of the Apollo 11 mission insignia showing an eagle landing on the Moon. Both sides of the coin, as well as the rejected Liberty design, were created by Frank Gasparro, the Chief Engraver of the United States Mint.

One and a half billion coins were struck in anticipation of considerable public demand, but the Anthony dollar was poorly received, in part because of confusion caused by its similarity in size and metallic composition to the quarter.

On the Eisenhower dollar, from Wikipedia: 

The Eisenhower dollar was a one-dollar coin issued by the United States Mint from 1971 to 1978; it was the first coin of that denomination issued by the Mint since the Peace dollar series ended in 1935. The coin depicts President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the obverse, and on the reverse a stylized image honoring the 1969 Apollo 11 Moon mission based on the mission patch designed by astronaut Michael Collins. Both sides were designed by Frank Gasparro. It is the only large-size U.S. dollar coin whose circulation strikes contained no silver.

In 1965, because of rises in bullion prices, the Mint began to strike copper-nickel clad coins instead of silver. No dollar coins had been issued in thirty years, but, beginning in 1969, legislators sought to reintroduce a dollar coin into commerce. After Eisenhower died that March, there were a number of proposals to honor him with the new coin. While these bills generally commanded wide support, enactment was delayed by a dispute over whether the new coin should be in base metal or 40% silver. In 1970, a compromise was reached to strike the Eisenhower dollar in base metal for circulation, and in 40% silver as a collectible. President Richard Nixon, who had served as vice president under Eisenhower, signed legislation authorizing mintage of the new coin on December 31, 1970.

Although the 40% silver collector's pieces sold well, the new base-metal dollars failed to circulate to any degree, except in and around Nevada casinos, where they took the place of privately issued tokens. There are no dollars dated 1975; coins from that year and from 1976 bear a double date 1776–1976, and a special reverse by Dennis R. Williams in honor of the bicentennial of American independence.

As Wikipedia states, the Eisenhower dollar circulated around Nevada casinos. They were fun to use when I spent Spring Break in Las Vegas in 1973, especially while playing roulette. I thought the Susan B. Anthony dollar was too much like a quarter and the portrait of Anthony was ugly (like a hag or wicked witch). 

I am definitely keeping the Eisenhower dollar as they are not easy to find. I haven't seen a circulated one in decades.