1979-S Type 2 Proof

The 1979-S Type 2 proof is the clear-S variant of the 1979 San Francisco proof and the scarcer of the two catalogued 1979-S issues. Late in 1979 the Mint introduced a freshly cut S mintmark punch to replace the worn original; the new punch produced a sharply defined letter with clearly open upper and lower loops, a visible departure from the filled or blob-like Type 1 mintmark used through the year to that point. The new punch struck a minority share of the combined 3,677,175 1979-S proof run before the year closed, and the resulting Type 2 examples carry a real scarcity premium across the certified population. Composition follows the post-1971 cupronickel standard: outer layers of 75% copper and 25% nickel bonded to a pure copper core, finished weight 11.34 g, no silver content. Roberts's portrait and Gasparro's heraldic eagle reverse continue unchanged from the surrounding years; only the mintmark device distinguishes the issue from the Type 1 counterpart.

What collectors look for on the 1979-S Type 2 is correct attribution of the clear-S mintmark and the strongest possible Cameo and Deep Cameo contrast. Examined under magnification at roughly 5x, the Type 2 S shows two crisp open loops with no central fill, against the Type 1's filled or partially filled letter that reads as a blob. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC both attribute the two types on slab inserts, and the Type 2 attribution carries a premium of several multiples over the Type 1 at equivalent grade. PCGS population data shows the Type 2 running well below the Type 1 in certified counts at PR68, PR69, and PR70 DCAM, with the PR70 DCAM tier the thinnest. Authentication on raw pieces should always run through the mintmark diagnostic before any other check, since the visual difference between Type 1 and Type 2 is the entire collecting premise. The same proof finish, the same cupronickel substrate, and the same Roberts and Gasparro design pair apply to both.

In the collecting landscape the 1979-S Type 2 is the meaningful collector premium of the 1979 proof year and a recognized scarce variety in the modern Kennedy proof catalog. Standard PR68 and PR69 examples command a real premium over the Type 1; PR70 DCAM pieces command considerably more, driven by registry-set competition and the genuinely thin certified population at that grade. A TPG slab is effectively required for buying confidence, since the mintmark attribution defines the value premium and the visual difference is small enough that raw misattributions occur. The catalog status of the issue reflects collecting reality rather than badge convention, since proof entries on the site classify as Regular and the scarcity premium lives in the prose and the market rather than in the rarity field. For the broader story of the modern proof program and the series' production arc, see the Kennedy Half Dollar series history.