The Treasury Department wanted to do away with one-dollar bills made of paper in order to save production expenses by millions of dollars annually.
At the time the mint had high expectations for how successful this new, smaller dollar currency would circulate in the US. The coin was comprised of 91.67% Copper and 8.33% Nickel. Anthony dollar was first made available in 1979 by the United States Mint. What Makes A 1979 Liberty Silver Dollar Valuable?
