1978 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1978

The Eisenhower dollar was struck for the last time.

Last year of the Eisenhower Dollar.

The Mint in the 1970s

The decade opened with the end of silver in circulating coinage: the last 40% silver Kennedy halves were dated 1970. The Eisenhower dollar arrived in 1971 and after 1974 the San Francisco Mint stopped placing its S on circulating cents, concentrating on proof coins for collectors. Rising copper prices led the Mint to test aluminum cents dated 1974, which were never issued.

For the nation's Bicentennial, quarters, half dollars and dollars struck in 1975 and 1976 all carry the dual date 1776-1976, so no coins of those denominations are dated 1975. The small Susan B. Anthony dollar replaced the Eisenhower dollar in 1979 and the West Point and San Francisco facilities struck unmarked cents to help meet demand.

How many coins were made in 1978

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 12,385,812,561 coins dated 1978 across 12 issues. That is close to the 1977 total of 11,565,926,078. In 1979 the figure rose to 13,503,728,056.

By mint: Philadelphia 5,352,447,000 (43%, up from 4,981,631,000), Denver 5,210,415,561 (42%, up from 5,188,940,078), West Point 1,531,250,000 (12%, up from 1,395,355,000) and San Francisco 291,700,000 (2.4%, new this year).

1978 coins by denomination

Cents: 9,838,838,400 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Lincoln Memorial Cent, up 14% on 1977. The scarcest is the 1978 (3,735,655,000) and the most plentiful the 1978-D (4,280,233,400).

Nickels: 704,400,780 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Jefferson Nickel, down 20% on 1977. The scarcest is the 1978-D (313,092,780) and the most plentiful the 1978 (391,308,000).

Dimes: 946,827,540 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Roosevelt Dime, down 19% on 1977. The scarcest is the 1978-D (282,847,540) and the most plentiful the 1978 (663,980,000).

Quarters: 808,825,152 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Washington Quarter, up 12% on 1977. The scarcest is the 1978-D (287,373,152) and the most plentiful the 1978 (521,452,000).

Half Dollars: 28,115,799 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Kennedy Half Dollar, down 63% on 1977. The scarcest is the 1978-D (13,765,799) and the most plentiful the 1978 (14,350,000).

Dollar Coins: 58,804,890 struck in 2 circulation issues of the Eisenhower Dollar, up 29% on 1977. The scarcest is the 1978 (25,702,000) and the most plentiful the 1978-D (33,102,890).

Every 1978 circulation issue at a glance

• 1978-D Kennedy Half Dollar: 13,765,799 struck, 55th lowest of 116 in the series, down from 31,449,106 in 1977.
• 1978 Kennedy Half Dollar: 14,350,000 struck, 56th lowest of 116 in the series, down from 43,598,000 in 1977.
• 1978 Eisenhower Dollar: 25,702,000 struck, 6th lowest of 16 in the series, up from 12,596,000 in 1977.
• 1978-D Eisenhower Dollar: 33,102,890 struck, more than 53% of the series' 16 issues, similar to 1977.
• 1978-D Roosevelt Dime: 282,847,540 struck, 51st lowest of 168 in the series, down from 376,607,228 in 1977.
• 1978-D Washington Quarter: 287,373,152 struck, more than 64% of the series' 144 issues, similar to 1977.
• 1978-D Jefferson Nickel: 313,092,780 struck, more than 58% of the series' 146 issues, similar to 1977.
• 1978 Jefferson Nickel: 391,308,000 struck, more than 66% of the series' 146 issues, down from 585,376,000 in 1977.
• 1978 Washington Quarter: 521,452,000 struck, more than 75% of the series' 144 issues, similar to 1977.
• 1978 Roosevelt Dime: 663,980,000 struck, more than 51% of the series' 168 issues, similar to 1977.
• 1978 Lincoln Memorial Cent: 3,735,655,000 struck, 44th lowest of 104 in the series, similar to 1977.
• 1978-D Lincoln Memorial Cent: 4,280,233,400 struck, more than 56% of the series' 104 issues, similar to 1977.

Lincoln Memorial Cent: Aluminum trials, West Point and the zinc switch

Rising copper costs led the Mint to strike about 1.5 million aluminum cents dated 1974 as a test. Congress did not approve them. Nearly all were melted, though a few left the Mint and are not legal to own. Meanwhile, demand kept growing. The West Point facility struck billions of cents in these years with no mint mark, making them indistinguishable from Philadelphia coins.

Proofs struck at San Francisco show Filled S and Clear S varieties in 1979 and 1981. The clear S is the scarcer. In 1982 the Mint changed to copper-plated zinc, lowering the weight from 3.11 grams to 2.5 grams. That year has seven major varieties combining metal (bronze or zinc), date size (large or small) and mint (Philadelphia or Denver). A scale is the easiest way to tell bronze from zinc for 1982.

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Jefferson Nickel: Mint marks move to the obverse

When mint marks returned in 1968, they moved to the obverse, just to the right of the date. San Francisco struck circulating nickels from 1968 to 1970, then only proofs from 1971 onward. The 1971 proof nickel without an S, caused by a die that was never punched, is a major rarity, with only about 1,655 reported struck.

Demand grew through the 1970s with inflation. Output at the two main mints sometimes exceeded half a billion. Proofs from 1979 show Filled S and Clear S varieties. The clear S is scarcer. Coins from these years are common, though full steps examples from some Denver dates are hard to find. Many circulated pieces show weak strikes on the steps and on Jefferson's hair, the first places to check.

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Roosevelt Dime: Mint marks move above the date

In 1968 the mint mark moved to the obverse just above the date. San Francisco began striking proof dimes for collectors the same year. A few proof dies left the Mint without the S, creating the rare no-S proofs dated 1968, 1970, 1975 and 1983. The 1975 is one of the great modern rarities with only two examples known. Proof sets of 1979 and 1981 show two mint mark styles: a filled Type 1 S and a clearer Type 2 S that is scarcer.

Philadelphia added a P mint mark to the dime in 1980. Two years later a Philadelphia die missing its P reached circulation. The 1982 no-P dime became one of the most popular modern errors. Business strike mintages stayed in the hundreds of millions per mint and passed one billion at Philadelphia in 1988. Dimes from these years turn up in change constantly. Only well-struck uncirculated pieces, proof varieties and errors draw real collector interest.

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Washington Quarter: The eagle returns before the state quarters

The eagle reverse came back in 1977. From 1977 to 1979 the West Point facility struck quarters for circulation without any mint mark, so they cannot be told apart from Philadelphia coins. A P mint mark first appeared on quarters in 1980. From then on every circulating quarter shows the mint that struck it.

Mintages of 1982 and 1983 were large, but the Mint issued no uncirculated sets in those years, so few were saved. Well-preserved examples of both years are hard to find. Silver proofs in 90 percent silver returned in 1992 alongside the clad proofs. Mintages climbed past one billion at Denver in 1995. The 1998 quarter was the last with Flanagan's eagle reverse. In 1999 the 50 State Quarters program replaced it with rotating designs.

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Kennedy Half Dollar: Eagle reverse and dwindling demand

The eagle reverse returned in 1977. Halves saw little use in commerce and mintages fell into the tens of millions, then lower. The 1982 Philadelphia issue includes a variety missing Gasparro's FG initials from the reverse. In 1987 no halves were made for circulation; the 2,890,758 coins from each mint went only into uncirculated sets.

Silver proofs in 90 percent silver returned in 1992. A 1998-S matte finish silver half, 64,141 struck, was sold in a set honoring Robert F. Kennedy and is one of the scarcest modern Kennedys. Circulation strikes of this period often show bag marks from handling in large bags. Well-preserved examples of the low mintage dates, such as 1987, are worth seeking. The 1999 Philadelphia run of 8.9 million was also small.

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Eisenhower Dollar: The last years of the big dollar

The Apollo reverse returned in 1977 for two final years. The coins were too large and heavy for everyday use outside casinos and some Western states and Congress replaced them with the smaller Susan B. Anthony dollar in 1979.

Mintages in these years were modest by clad standards and the coins that went into circulation mostly stayed there in casino trays. Clean uncirculated examples from mint sets are the usual way to complete a set of these dates.

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