Susan B. Anthony (1979-1999)

Introduced in 1979, the Susan B. Anthony Dollar was meant to replace the larger Eisenhower Dollar. However, public acceptance was low from the start, mainly due to the coin's size and composition being too similar to the quarter. Production ceased in 1981 when it became clear that supply had far exceeded demand. By 1999, there was a renewed need for smaller dollar coins for vending machines and transit systems, which led to the depletion of reserves. Despite the approval of a new golden-colored dollar coin, it could not be produced quickly enough, resulting in a limited minting of 1999-dated Susan B. Anthony dollars to meet the immediate demand.