$6.5349/lb
Spot as of Oct 22, 2026 12:15 AM · $1 move in copper changes this coin by $0.0458
What this coin is
The circulating Eisenhower dollar is copper-nickel clad — no silver, no gold. Large 1971–1978 $1. Aftermarket gold-plated or “24K layered” Ikes sold on TV are still this coin plus a thin wash. The plating is not gold melt.
What is written on the coin
Eisenhower portrait, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONE DOLLAR, Apollo eagle reverse (or Bicentennial dual date 1776–1976). Gold color on a plated piece is a coating, not mint gold.
Metal content (the melt spec)
Mint specification: 22.6800 grams at 91.67% copper, which is 20.791 g / 0.04584 lb of copper (ACW). Copper is priced per pound. Formula: grams × fineness ÷ 453.59237 × copper $/lb. Date and mintmark do not change that number. Melt today is $0.3291 per coin at $6.5349/lb copper.
Mintage
Mintage varies by date. We do not publish a year-by-year mintage table here because melt is the same for this composition. A scarce date or a high grade can be worth more than melt; a common worn piece is often near melt.
A little history
Business-strike Ikes are clad. Some collector “brown box / blue pack” Ikes are 40% silver — that is a different page. Gold plating is a novelty, not bullion.
How to tell you have this type
Large dollar, 1971–1978. If it looks gold, check whether it is plated; melt is still this clad coin (or the 40% silver page if it is a silver Ike). See Identify: gold-colored vs real gold.
Date and mintmark do not change the metal on this page. Collector value is a different market — a shop looks at date, mint, and condition. Melt is the floor.
Same look, different composition: Eisenhower dollar (40% silver). Use the page that matches what you actually have — karat and weight change the melt.
Year that changed the metal: 1971 Eisenhower dollar — not silver, not gold
Copper is a base metal, quoted in dollars per pound (Kitco), not per troy ounce. Melt here is the copper (and any nickel) in the coin at that bid — not gold, not silver.
A gold-plated or “24K layered” Ike is still this clad coin. The wash is not gold melt. See Identify — gold-colored vs real gold.
Shop-counter notes (not a second melt formula): Eisenhower dollars.
Melt / coin$0.3291
Copper spot / lb$6.5349/lb
Copper in coin20.791 g · 0.04584 lb
Nickel in coin1.889 g · 0.00417 lb · 8.33%
Gross weight22.680 g
Fineness91.67%
Face$1.00
Coins / lb21.8
If you want to sell Find a shop near you
A local coin shop can look at what you have. Melt may not be the whole story — dates and condition matter.
Before you sell
Copper + nickel melt
Clad Eisenhower dollars have no silver. Gold-plated or “24K layered” Ikes are still this coin plus a thin wash — not gold melt. Some collector Ikes are 40% silver (other page).
Melt is the metal floor. A shop looks at date, mint, and condition. We list 437 types and ~11,000 melt values.
Quick amounts
Using $6.5349/lb copper.
| You have | Pure oz | Melt |
|---|---|---|
| 1 coin | 0.6684 | $0.3291 |
| 10 coins | 6.6844 | $3.29 |
| 1 roll (20 coins) | 13.3688 | $6.58 |
Melt alert
Email me if this coin’s melt crosses a number I set.
Related types
Same metal, nearby coins.
Susan B. Anthony dollar
1979–1999 · 0.23873 ACW
$0.1175
Roosevelt dime (clad)
1965–date · 0.06690 ACW
$0.0329
Washington quarter (clad)
1965–date · 0.16711 ACW
$0.0823
Kennedy half (clad)
1971–date · 0.33422 ACW
$0.1645
Sacagawea / Native American dollar
2000–date · 0.23047 ACW
$0.1058
Presidential dollar
2007–2016 · 0.23047 ACW
$0.1058
Buffalo nickel
1913–1938 · 0.12057 ACW
$0.0736
Jefferson nickel (cupro)
1938–date · 0.12057 ACW
$0.0736
Questions people ask
How much copper is in a Eisenhower dollar (clad)?
Mint spec is 22.680 grams at 91.67% copper, which is 20.791 g / 0.04584 lb of copper. Copper is priced per pound, not per troy ounce. Date and mintmark do not change that.
What is a Eisenhower dollar (clad) worth in melt today?
At copper spot of $6.5349/lb, one coin’s melt is $0.3291. Multiply by how many you have. A collector copper is usually worth more as a coin than as scrap.
How many Eisenhower dollar (clad)s equal one pound of copper?
About 21.82 coins equal 1.00 lb of copper at mint weight.
Does mintmark change the melt value?
No. A Philadelphia, Denver, or San Francisco coin of this type has the same metal. Melt is type × composition, not date or mintmark.
Is melt what I should sell this Eisenhower dollar (clad) for?
Melt here is copper plus nickel at Kitco’s bids per pound. Not silver. Collector examples are usually worth more as coins than as scrap. Clad Eisenhower dollars have no silver. Gold-plated or “24K layered” Ikes are still this coin plus a thin wash — not gold melt. Some collector Ikes are 40% silver (other page).
Does every coin that looks like this have the same melt?
No. See also the Eisenhower dollar (40% silver) — same look, different composition (karat, plating, or a later weight cut). Melt only applies to the spec on this page.
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