1979-S Type 1 Proof

The 1979-S Type 1 is the inaugural proof of the new dollar program and the more common of the year's two mintmark varieties. San Francisco struck 3,677,175 proof Susan B. Anthony dollars across the 1979 production run, with the Type 1 Filled S accounting for the great majority of that figure and the late-year Type 2 Clear S only a fraction. The Filled S came from a worn or partially clogged mintmark punch that had been in San Francisco service across the 1979 proof program for cents through halves; the dollar inherited the same punch, and Type 1 examples carry a softly defined, blob-like S that contrasts sharply with the crisp Type 2 punch introduced later in the year. Frank Gasparro's portrait of Anthony pairs with his Apollo-11-derived eagle reverse, both struck on polished dies that produce strong contrast between mirrored fields and frosted devices, the visual signature collectors call Cameo.

For collectors, the Type 1 is the default San Francisco 1979 proof, available in Cameo and Deep Cameo at modest premiums above the standard proof floor. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations cluster at PR69 Deep Cameo, with PR70 Deep Cameo populations meaningful but not large. The Type 1 punch's softer outline does not affect the surrounding strike; tail-feather and lunar-surface detail come up cleanly on early-die-state examples. No additional varieties beyond the Type 1 / Type 2 mintmark distinction are documented for this issue.

This is a regular-issue proof, common in the absolute, and the standard entry point for collectors building a Susan B. Anthony proof type set. The collecting interest sits primarily in the contrast with the scarcer Type 2 variety. Raw 1979-S Type 1 proofs trade at small premiums over face; certified PR69 Deep Cameo examples remain inexpensive. For the launch-year context and the broader design history, see the Susan B. Anthony Dollar series history.