1974-S Clad Proof

The 1974-S Clad continued the standard annual proof set's copper-nickel clad Eisenhower proof at 2,612,568 pieces, slightly less than the 1973 figure but consistent with the post-launch baseline demand. The Mint distributed the issue alongside the cents-through-half-dollar lineup of the standard annual proof set, and the dedicated Brown Pack continued to receive the 40 percent silver counterpart for collectors who preferred the silver version. By 1974 the Eisenhower dollar proof program had stabilized into a two-track model: the clad version in the standard annual proof set and the silver version in the dedicated Brown Pack, with no design changes between the two beyond the underlying planchet composition and weight. Frank Gasparro's Eisenhower obverse and Apollo-11-derived eagle reverse remained unchanged, struck on the 22.68-gram clad planchet with the polished proof finish.

For collectors, the 1974-S Clad is a Cameo and Deep Cameo proof, with PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations cluster at PR68 and PR69 Deep Cameo. Strike quality is consistently sharp; the eagle, moon surface, and Eisenhower's portrait all come up cleanly on coins from sealed proof sets. The most common deductions are milky toning, fingerprints, and minor contact marks on cracked-out raw examples rather than die-state issues. No major varieties are documented for the 1974-S Clad.

This is a regular-issue proof and the standard fourth-year clad option for collectors building an Eisenhower proof set. Pricing is modest because the issue was widely distributed and the surviving population is deep at PR68 and PR69. The 1974-S Clad pairs with the 1974-S Silver as the year's two proof options, with the choice typically driven by whether the collector wants the silver bullion exposure or the cheaper clad version. Sealed proof sets from the 1974 annual program remain the standard source. For the dual-composition proof program history and the year-by-year distribution figures, see the Eisenhower Dollar series history.