Susan B. Anthony Dollar First Day oF Issue Covers

FIRST DAY OF ISSUE COVER SIGNED BY MINT DIRECTOR
STELLA B. HACKEL ON JULY 2, 1979, THE FIRST DAY OF ISSUE

The first Susan B. Anthony Dollars were struck at ceremonies held at the Philadelphia Mint on December 13, 1978. Fearing hoarding by the public, the mint planned to hold release of the dollar until 500 million coins had been stockpiled. July 2, 1979 was selected as the official release date. On this date, ceremonies were held in Rochester, New York, home of Susan B. Anthony. Many celebrities were present at the ceremonies, including the then Director of the Mint Stella B. Hackel. The above first day of issue cover was signed and dated by Ms. Hackel at the release ceremonies. Several private enterprises created first day of issue covers. None was created by the U.S. Mint. Besides Rochester, N. Y., first day covers were postmarked at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco (site of the three mints striking Anthony Dollars), Adams, Massachusetts (birthplace of Susan Anthony), and Washington, D.C.

Another first day of issue from the city where
the Susan B. Anthony dollar release
ceremonies were held, Rochester, NY.

NGC Certified "First Day Of Issue"
1979-P Narrow Rim Susan B. Anthony Dollar.

Below are some of the privately made Susan B. Anthony Dollar First Day of Issue Covers. Others exist.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTY PETERS

Here is a really cool Susan B. Anthony Dollar 1st Day of Issue Cover created by collector Marty Peters when he was 14 years old. Marty explains, "Back in the 70's I remember reading an article in CoinAge about a collector who had glued a first-day-of-issue 1964 Kennedy half dollar to an envelope and then had the local post office clerk postmark it. I did the same thing with two SBA dollars on July 2, 1979." This first day of issue cover consists of a 1979-D Anthony Dollar on a 10¢ postcard that was postmarked at the Pipestone, Minnesota Post Office. Zip Code 56164.

Here is a homemade Susan B. Anthony Dollar 1st Day of Issue Cover. The story that came with the piece is that the owner's wife worked in a bank in Hamilton, Massachusetts. On the first day the SBA Dollar was available, July 2, 1979, she called her collector husband. He got one, put it in a 2x2 cardboard holder, put a postage stamp on it and had it postmarked on that day, July 2, 1979, at a South Hamilton, Massachusetts post office.

Here are a couple of 1979-S Susan B. Anthony Dollars collected on the first day of issue, placed in cardboard 2x2 holders, and labeled as such. No proof that they are actually from the first day of issue, but don't you just believe it anyway?

This Susan B. Anthony Dollar 1st Day of Issue Cover was issued in a set of three covers by the Medalist Cover Society. Each cover contains either a 1979 P, D or S mint Anthony Dollar coin. All three covers were postmarked on July 2, 1979 in San Francisco, CA, 94101. The set of three comes in a 7.5" x 12" blue vinyl folder.

This Susan B. Anthony Dollar 1st Day of Issue Cover was issued as a single piece. It consist of a 1979-S Anthony Dollar and was postmarked on July 2, 1979 at San Francisco, CA, 94101.

This Susan B. Anthony Dollar 1st Day of Issue Cover was issued as a set of three. Each cover contains either a 1979 P, D, or S Anthony Dollar and is postmarked on July 2, 1979 in Philadelphia, PA (19104), Denver, CO (80202), or San Francisco, CA (94101) respectively. Each cover has a 13¢ Indian Head Cent stamp and either a 3¢ Susan B. Anthony stamp ("P" cover), a 6¢ Woman's Suffrage 50th Anniversary stamp ("D" cover), or a 3¢ Election Box stamp ("S" cover). The set of three comes in a blue paper cardstock folder.

INTERESTING FOOTNOTE: While the Anthony Dollar First Day of Issue Covers were the first produced on a large scale, they weren't the first ones made. The first year of issue for the Kennedy Half Dollar was 1964. Collector John M. Baker took two of the Kennedy Half Dollars, glued them to the outside of an envelope, and had the envelope postmarked on March 24, 1964 - the first day the halves were released to the public. One was sold at auction in 1967 for $2,000. It was sold again at a "Collectors of Certified Coins" auction on September 27, 1969 and went for a whopping $18,000. WOW!!!