American Innovation Dollar · Dollar Coins

2021-S Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof

Reverse proof struck at the San Francisco Mint · 49,813 made

Reverse proof
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.

Copper content7.17grams
Value band: Collector premium

Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.

What is a 2021-S Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel 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 Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Innovation Dollar Reverse Proof rare?
Fairly. The Mint made 49,813 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
Is the 2021-S Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel 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 Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Innovation Dollar Reverse proofs were made?
49,813.
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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-D (453,025 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 Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel

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 Virginia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel design

Virginia's coin celebrates the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which opened in 1964 to link the Hampton Roads area with the Eastern Shore. The crossing combines long low trestles with tunnels beneath the main shipping channels, so naval and commercial ships can pass without obstruction. It replaced a ferry service across the mouth of the bay. The reverse presents a cutaway cross section of the structure, showing traffic moving through a tunnel below the water. Matt Swaim designed it and John P. McGraw 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.

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Mintage chart

American Innovation Dollar circulation mintagesLog scale · hover or tap a bar · 2018–2025
100K1M

Specifications

SeriesAmerican Innovation Dollar (2018–present)
Year2021
MintSan Francisco Mint
Mint mark"S"
Strike typeReverse proof
Mintage49,813
Face value$1
CompositionManganese brass (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, 2% nickel)
Weight8.1 grams
Diameter26.49 mm
EdgeLettered with the date, mint mark and E PLURIBUS UNUM
DesignerVarious artists

Other 2021 American Innovation Dollar issues

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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.