1981-S Type 2 Proof

The 1981-S Type 2 is the scarce late-year proof variety of the original Susan B. Anthony program, distinguished by a flat-topped, squared-serif S that replaced the rounded Type 1 punch midway through the year. The combined 1981 proof mintage of 4,063,083 splits between the two types; the Type 2 is the late-production minority, with its share variously estimated at roughly 10 to 20 percent of the total. The same Round S to Flat S transition surfaced across the 1981 proof program for cents through halves, but, as with the 1979 Type 2, the Susan B. Anthony Type 2 is the most-collected of the family because the dollar carries the strongest visual differential and the most active series demand for proof varieties.

Authentication of a Type 2 claim relies on two diagnostics. First, the top of the S on a Type 2 reads as visibly flat with sharp 90-degree corners at the serif tips, while a Type 1 carries a clearly rounded curve at the top and bottom of the S. Second, viewed at five to ten power, the interior space inside the Type 2 S is squared and well-defined, where the Type 1 interior reads as more open and curved. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC both list the variety in their slabs, and certified slabs are the only safe purchase route at the price differentials this variety commands. Cameo, the contrast between mirrored fields and frosted devices, is standard for the issue, with Deep Cameo examples carrying the strongest premiums.

The 1981-S Type 2 is a popular series proof variety that trades at a strong multiple of the Type 1 across Cameo and Deep Cameo grades, with the gap widening at PR69 and especially at PR70. The variety pairs naturally with the 1979-S Type 2 in collections that target both transitional proof punches. For the production-halt context behind the matched 1981 trio and the longer program history, see the Susan B. Anthony Dollar series history.