$1 · Gold · Circulating
United States Gold Dollar
The smallest federal gold denomination, issued in three compact designs from the California Gold Rush era through 1889.
- Designer
- James B. Longacre
- Classic dates
- 1849–1889
- Mint facilities
- Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and San Francisco
01 · Overview
Why the United States Gold Dollar matters
Congress authorized the gold dollar in 1849 as California gold began changing the nation's monetary economy. Its tiny original format proved difficult to handle, leading James B. Longacre to enlarge the planchet and revise the portrait twice.
The series is best understood as three types, not one uninterrupted design. Branch-mint scarcity, weak strikes, tiny fields, die deterioration, and the visibility of repairs at high magnification make exact issue attribution essential.
02 · Design
Reading the design
Three portraits, two diameters
Type I uses a compact Liberty head on a 13 mm planchet. Types II and III use the larger 15 mm format with a feathered headdress; the Type III portrait was revised to improve production.
Date and mint within the wreath
Date shape, wreath details, mintmark position, and die state are central to attribution. On so small a coin, tooling or an added mintmark can be especially consequential.
03 · Specifications
Nominal issue specifications
- Denomination
- $1
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Nominal weight
- 1.672 g
- Diameter
- 13.0 mm (Type I); 15.0 mm (Types II–III)
- Edge
- Reeded
- Series dates
- 1849–1889
Nominal specifications describe regular classic issues. Patterns, proofs, special strikes, production tolerances, and later commemorative or modern versions may differ.
04 · Grading population
How many have been certified at each grade
No static census copied here. Full grade-by-grade counts change and are not republished without the exact issue, service, strike, designation, source, and as-of date. Use the official tools below; verified figures for an individual Nucoins coin appear on that coin's listing.
Population reports count submissions certified by a grading service. They do not count every surviving coin, and a series-wide total is not a substitute for the exact date, mint, variety, strike, designation, and grade. Nucoins listings show the population in the listed grade and the number graded higher when those figures have been checked against an official report.
- Population in grade
- Coins recorded by that service for the exact issue and assigned grade.
- Higher / finer
- Coins recorded by the same service in numerically higher applicable grades.
- Report date
- The date the figure was checked; counts can change after submissions, resubmissions, and database updates.
05 · Issue map
The series in stages
01 · 1849–1854
Type I · Liberty Head
The 13 mm original, struck at Philadelphia and four branch mints during its short run.
02 · 1854–1856
Type II · Small Indian Princess
A larger, thinner format whose low relief and production difficulties often left central detail weak.
03 · 1856–1889
Type III · Large Indian Princess
The revised portrait used through the denomination's end, with many later Philadelphia issues produced in small quantities.
Notable issue checkpoints
Production figures describe coins struck, not coins surviving or certified. Linked issue records provide the context for each figure.
06 · Examination
What photographs should help you examine
Obverse
Portrait and field height
Check hair, headdress feathers, cheek, and exposed fields for strike weakness, friction, or smoothing.
Reverse
Date, wreath, and mintmark
Confirm date style and mintmark placement; inspect the wreath bow and nearby fields for repairs.
Edge / holder
Small-planchet integrity
Check the complete rim and reeded edge, then match type, mint, and date to the holder.
07 · Before buying
Questions the listing should answer
01
Separate metal value from numismatic value
The coin contains a known nominal amount of gold, but its market value can also reflect date, mint, variety, survival, grade, surface quality, and demand. A gold calculation is a useful reference point, not a complete valuation method.
02
Read the holder and the coin
Confirm the grading service, grade, certification number, and any documented designation, then examine the photographs independently. A third-party grade is an attributed opinion; it does not replace a review of color, luster, marks, and surface originality.
03
Treat cleaning and damage separately from wear
Circulation wear is only one part of condition. Cleaning, polishing, scratches, rim damage, mount removal, tooling, and altered surfaces can materially change how a coin is described and valued even when substantial design detail remains.
08 · Sources
Primary references
This guide is educational and intentionally type-level. Issue-specific attribution, mintage, certification, and condition should be verified for the individual coin.