Description
1971-S Eisenhower $1 Prototype Strike Silver 40% PCGS SP65+ KM#Since your coin is a high-value rarity rather than a standard silver dollar, you’ll want to use professional terminology that alerts serious collectors and auction houses to exactly what you have.
Here is a detailed, professional description you can use for an eBay listing or a consignment inquiry.
Title Suggestion
1971-S Eisenhower Silver Dollar – Verified DMR-038 Nixon Presentation Prototype – Rare Early Die Variety
Listing Description
Overview
This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a historically significant piece of U.S. Mint history: a verified 1971-S "Nixon Presentation" Prototype Eisenhower Dollar. This specific coin features the rare DMR-038 (ODV-010/RDV-007) die marriage, identifying it as one of the early trial strikes used to test the design before mass production began.
It has been preserved for decades in a vintage, period-correct United Plastics black display case, which has allowed it to develop a beautiful, natural golden-amber "original skin" toning around the rims.
Forensic Coin Diagnostics
Obverse (Front) – DMR-038 Variety:
"Peg Leg" LIBERTY: The bottom-left leg of the "R" in LIBERTY is straight and delicate, lacking the heavy serif (foot) added to later production dies.
Floating Hair Strand: A distinct, disconnected strand of hair is visible hovering just above Eisenhower's ear—a hallmark of early test dies.
Early Typography: Features the blunt-top "1" in the date and the serif-less "G" in the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST."
Reverse (Back) – High-Relief Trial Strike:
Type 2 "Crude Cameo" Earth: The Caribbean islands are raised and frosted with soft, natural edges, predating the sharply hand-carved production Earth designs.
Deep Feather Depressions: The eagle's wings exhibit extreme high-relief detail, with deep, shadowed depressions between feathers—a result of the immense strike pressure used for prototypes.
Wire Rim: The coin features a thick, squared-off "wire rim" caused by the metal being forced vertically against the collar of the press during the high-pressure strike.
Surface & Finish:
Specimen Finish: Features satiny, frosty fields rather than the mirror-like finish of standard proofs.
Die Polish Lines: Faint, microscopic parallel lines are visible in the fields, confirming it was struck from brand-new, freshly polished dies.
Physical Specifications
Composition: 40% Silver Clad (80% silver outer layers over a 20% silver core).
Weight: Approximately 24.6 grams (consistent with premium silver planchets).
Housing: Original vintage early-1970s United Plastics case marked "PAT. APPLIED FOR" on the base.
Important Note to Potential Buyers
This coin is currently raw (ungraded). Because it displays all the verified diagnostic markers of the documented Nixon Presentation Prototype, it represents a major discovery for any serious Eisenhower dollar specialist or error collector. It is being sold exactly as found in its vintage housing to preserve its original toning and history.