Disclosure: Some of the links you’ll encounter are unique links. Click and buy something and I’ll earn some money, at zero expense to you. Thank you!
Sacagawea silver dollars exist as official U.S. Mint products.
The San Francisco Mint produced 90% silver proof versions annually, featuring an “S” mint mark and a distinctive cameo finish.
However, many supposed “silver” Sacagaweas found online aren’t genuine silver coins. Instead, they’re regular circulation coins that have been silver-plated by private individuals for novelty and collection purposes.
Private mints also created non-legal-tender silver rounds with Sacagawea Dollar designs, and a rare mint error exists where Sacagawea designs were accidentally struck on Susan B. Anthony planchets, creating silvery-colored coins. Only twelve of these rare coins are known to exist.
Learn more below!
Take this quiz and test your knowledge on silver Sacagawea proof coins.
Do Sacagawea Silver Dollars Exist? Are They Real?
Yes, Sacagawea silver dollars exist. They’re real, but rare compared to the regular Sacagawea dollars minted for circulation.
The U.S. Mint has produced special silver proof versions of Sacagawea dollars for all years of the series. These coins were made of 90% silver and 10% copper and were included in special silver proof sets.
Sacagawea silver proofs were all minted in San Francisco and feature an “S” mint mark. Sacagawea silver proofs have frosted raised design elements and inscriptions against a mirrored background that create a special cameo effect.
For each year, the Proof Sacagawea Dollars have been included within the annual Proof Set and annual Silver Proof Set.
From 2005 to 2008, the coins were also included within the American Legacy Collection, which also contained the year’s commemorative silver dollars.
Here’s a table showing how many silver proof Sacagaweas were minted from 2000 to 2008.
| Issue | Mintage |
|---|---|
| 2000-S | 4,047,904 |
| 2001-S | 3,183,740 |
| 2002-S | 3,211,995 |
| 2003-S | 3,298,439 |
| 2004-S | 2,965,422 |
| 2005-S | 3,344,679 |
| 2006-S | 3,054,436 |
| 2007-S | 2,577,166 |
| 2008-S | 2,169,561 |
Note: Sacagawea dollars were introduced as a replacement coin to Susan B. Anthony Dollar. The hope was the new series would prove popular with the American public. But, the coin was a dud in terms of popularity with lower mintages recorded year over year.
The same fate followed the proof versions of Sacagawea Dollars as you can see from the table above. The number of coins minted was gradually declining as the popularity of these coin dropped further and further.
Sacagawea silver proof coins are the only official silver Sacagawea dollars minted by the U.S. Mint.
However, there’re two other typed of silver Sacagaweas you can encounter online or offline.
First, some private mints, for example the Washington Mint, have produced non-official, privately issued .999 silver Sacagawea “medals” or “silver rounds”.
These are bullion items, and aren’t legal tender U.S. dollar coins.
Second, some coin aficionados like to plate regular coins with precious metals and make unique versions of such coins.
Regular Sacagawea coins (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, and 2% nickel) plated with silver is a great example of such a coin.
Here’s an example of a regular Sacagawea Dollar with silver plating making the entire coin look silvery.
Examples of Supposed Silver Sacagawea Dollar Coins That Aren’t Made of Silver
Here are some examples of supposed silver Sacagawea coins that I found online. None of these are actually made of silver.
Here’s someone saying they have a real silver Sacagawea dollar on their hands. But, the coin is actually silver plated and beneath the plate is the regular Sacagawea coin minted for circulation.
Here’s another example of a silver-plated Sacajawea Dollar. It’s the coin on the left.
Here’s an example of a regular Sacagawea Dollar coin that’s tarnished so badly it’s started to look like it’s made of silver.
Here’s another example of a tarnished Sacagawea coin that looks like it’s made of silver. This time it’s easier to notice it’s a regular coin because the tarnish is only half spread across the coin’s surface.
Where To Get Silver Proof Sacagawea Dollar Coins?
You can find silver Proof Sacagawea dollars from online coin dealers, auction sites like eBay, coin shows, and through specialized coin dealers.
The most straightforward path is to buy them from eBay as there’re plenty of people looking to sell their proof silver Sacagaweas.
Did Any of the Sacagawea Dollar Coin Mint Errors Result in a Silver Specimen?
Yes, a notable Sacagawea dollar coin mint error resulted in a silver-colored Sacagawea dollar, though it wasn’t made of actual silver.
The error occurred when the Sacagawea design was accidentally struck on a Susan B. Anthony dollar planchet (Susan B. Anthony Dollars are silvery by design).
The standard Sacagawea dollar has a distinctive golden color due to its composition of a pure copper core clad in a manganese-brass alloy (88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, and 2% nickel).
The error coin that was struck on a Susan B. Anthony planchet, has the composition of the SBA dollar (75% copper as the coin’s core and 25% nickel in outer layers bonded to a pure copper core).
This mint error produced silvery-white and distinct Sacagaweas.
Only 12 of these “wrong planchet” Sacagawea Dollar mint errors are known to exist, making them extremely rare and valuable to collectors.
Are There Sacagawea Cheerios Dollar Coins Made of Silver?
No, there’re no Sacagawea Cheerios Dollar coins made of silver.
All Sacagawea Cheerios dollars were made from the same material as regular Sacagaweas minted for circulation.
A Sacagawea Cheerios Dollar specimen that looks like it’s made of silver is actually silver plated and the core is made of 88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese, and 2% nickel.
Were Silver Sacagawea Dollar Coins Minted by the Philadelphia Mint?
No, silver Sacagawea Dollar coins weren’t minted by the Philadelphia Mint. Instead, all silver Sacagawea proofs were minted by the San Francisco Mint.
Note: a coin collector can have their regular Sacagawea Dollar with a “P” mint mark silver plated. This would technically create a unique silver Sacagawea coin minted by the Philadelphia Mint.
Were Silver Sacagawea Dollar Coins Minted by the Denver Mint?
No, silver Sacagawea Dollar coins weren’t minted by the Denver Mint. Instead, all silver Sacagawea proofs were minted by the San Francisco Mint.
Note: a coin collector can have their regular Sacagawea Dollar with a “D” mint mark silver plated. This would technically create a unique silver Sacagawea coin minted by the Denver Mint.
Were Silver Sacagawea Dollar Coins Minted by the West Point Mint?
No, silver Sacagawea Dollar coins weren’t minted by the West Point Mint. Instead, all silver Sacagawea proofs were minted by the San Francisco Mint.
Note: a coin collector can have their regular Sacagawea Dollar with a “W” mint mark silver plated. This would technically create a unique silver Sacagawea coin minted by the West Point Mint.
Is it Possible to Include Sacagawea Silver Dollars in a Gold IRA Account?
No, it’s not possible to include Sacagawea silver dollars in a gold IRA account. Proof silver Sacagawea coins aren’t considered silver bullion.
Instead, they’re viewed as collectibles and the IRS doesn’t allow collectibles to be included in a gold or silver IRA.
Check out this U.S. gold IRA company if you want to include real silver into your IRA account and you’re worried about gold IRA scams.
The company is called Augusta Precious Metals, they’re a legit and trusted U.S. gold IRA provider and they’re one of the rare company that waives all fees for all customers for full 10 years.
Get your free precious metals investment guide here!
Sacagawea Silver Dollar- Does it Exist or Not? Conclusion
The only official silver Sacagawea dollars are 90% silver proof coins minted in San Francisco.
Most silver-looking Sacajawea dollars are either silver-plated circulation coins or non-official silver rounds. A rare mint error also created a silver-colored specimen struck on a Susan B. Anthony planchet, which isn’t actual silver.
No silver Sacagawea coins were minted by the Philadelphia, Denver, or West Point Mints.
References:
- Are there silver versions of the Sacajawea dollar? https://www.cointalk.com/threads/are-there-silver-versions-of-the-sacagawea-dollar.268283/
- 2019-S $1 Sacagawea Native American NGC PF70 Ultra Cameo | From Silver Proof Set- https://www.ebay.com/itm/167689713581
- 2000 P Sacagawea dollar struck on a Susan B Anthony planchet?- https://www.reddit.com/r/coincollecting/comments/1bztdk4/2000_p_sacagawea_dollar_struck_on_a_susan_b/
- 2000-P $1 Sacagawea Dollar–Struck on a Susan B. Anthony Planchet–MS66 PCGS….- https://coins.ha.com/itm/errors/2000-p-1-sacagawea-dollar-struck-on-a-susan-b-anthony-planchet-ms66-pcgs/a/1143-5607.s
- I have a silver sacagawea dollar. No one knows anything about it.- https://www.reddit.com/r/coins/comments/1epobpx/i_have_a_silver_sacagawea_dollar_no_one_knows/
- Silver Sacagawea Dollar?- https://www.reddit.com/r/coins/comments/1459v85/silver_sacagawea_dollar/
- What’s up with this silver Sacagawea dollar coin? It’s not gold like I’m accustomed to- https://www.reddit.com/r/coins/comments/95g3t0/whats_up_with_this_silver_sacagawea_dollar_coin/
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is the owner of Nikola Roza- Everything You Can Learn About Precious Metals. He writes for people who love precious metals and jewelry and who're interested in adding gold, silver platinum and palladium to their retirement portfolios. Nikola is passionate about gold IRAs and investing in multiple asset types for a safer financial future. He also runs a successful online jewelry store where you can buy precious metal jewelry and various replicas of famous coins and bars. Learn about Nikola here.
