2021-S North Carolina: Higher education Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof
Reverse proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 49,813 made
- Mintage
- 49,813
- Metal
- Manganese brass
- Weight
- 8.1 g
- Diameter
- 26.49 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 2021-S North Carolina: Higher education Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 2021-S North Carolina: Higher education Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 49,813 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 2021-S North Carolina: Higher education Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof silver?
- No. It's manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel). Circulating silver dollars ended with the 1935 Peace dollar. Some Eisenhower dollars with an S mint mark were made in 40% silver for collectors, but circulation Ike dollars are copper-nickel clad.
- Where is the mint mark on a 2021 American Innovation Dollar?
- On the edge, incused with the date. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 2021-S North Carolina: Higher education Innovation Dollar Reverse proofs were made?
- 49,813.
What to check on your 2021-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 2021-P (454,150 made).
- Judge the grade under good light. These are sold in rolls, bags and sets, so most survive uncirculated. Value depends on luster and freedom from marks.
The story of the 2021-S North Carolina: Higher education
Elsewhere in US coinage in 2021
The America the Beautiful quarter program ended and a new reverse showing General Washington crossing the Delaware took its place. Morgan and Peace dollars were struck again for their centennial.
How to recognize it
The North Carolina: Higher education design
North Carolina's coin honors higher education, recognizing the University of North Carolina as the first public university in the nation to admit students. Chartered in 1789, the university at Chapel Hill opened its doors to students in 1795. The reverse shows a stack of three books, the middle one bearing the title FIRST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY on its spine. A lamp of knowledge sits on top while olive branches curve around the edge. Ronald D. Sanders designed the reverse and Joseph Menna sculpted it.
The American Innovation Dollar design
The obverse shows the Statue of Liberty in profile with IN GOD WE TRUST and $1. Each reverse honors an innovation or innovator from one state or territory, issued in the order the states joined the Union. The date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM are lettered on the edge, which is where to look for the mint mark.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | American Innovation Dollar (2018–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Reverse proof |
| Mintage | 49,813 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | Manganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel) |
| Weight | 8.1 grams |
| Diameter | 26.49 mm |
| Edge | Lettered with the date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM |
| Designer | Various artists |
Other 2021 American Innovation Dollar issues
Mintage: American Innovation dollars (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.