$3 · Gold · Circulating
Indian Princess Three-Dollar Gold Piece
An unusual denomination created during the postage-stamp era and struck in relatively limited quantities for thirty-six years.
- Designer
- James B. Longacre
- Classic dates
- 1854–1889
- Mint facilities
- Philadelphia, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and San Francisco
01 · Overview
Why the Indian Princess Three-Dollar Gold Piece matters
The three-dollar gold piece was authorized in 1853 and first struck in 1854. James B. Longacre used an Indian Princess portrait and a wreath of agricultural products for a denomination often connected to the contemporary price of one hundred three-cent stamps.
Most dates were produced in modest quantities, yet availability does not track mintage mechanically. Proof status, branch-mint origin, die variety, circulation, jewelry use, and melting all require issue-level treatment.
02 · Design
Reading the design
Indian Princess portrait
Hair, feather tips, cheek, and open fields provide the principal evidence of strike, friction, and surface work.
Agricultural wreath and date
Corn, wheat, cotton, and tobacco encircle the denomination and date. Date position and wreath details help distinguish dies and repairs.
03 · Specifications
Nominal issue specifications
- Denomination
- $3
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Nominal weight
- 5.015 g
- Diameter
- 20.5 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Series dates
- 1854–1889
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 · 1854–1861
Opening and branch-mint issues
Includes the only Dahlonega issue, San Francisco issues, and the series' most geographically varied phase.
02 · 1862–1878
Low-output middle years
Many circulation issues were struck in the low thousands; 1875 and 1876 are proof-only dates.
03 · 1879–1889
Final Philadelphia period
Late circulation strikes and proofs close with the 1889 issue.
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
Cheek, hair, and feathers
Assess high-point friction, strike completeness, and marks in the open field.
Reverse
Date and wreath
Inspect date digits, denomination, bow, and agricultural details for tooling or smoothing.
Edge / holder
Jewelry evidence
Check rims and edge for mounting, solder, filing, and repair.
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.