Liberty Head Gold Dollar — Type I
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1849–1854
Fine gold: 0.048375 troy oz
United States • 1 U.S. dollars
Indian Princess Gold Dollar — Type III Large Head
Indian Princess Gold Dollar — Type III Large Head has nominal fine gold of 0.048375 troy oz (1.504631 g) at the historical .900 standard. This is the original large-head gold dollar of 1856–1889. It retains the one-dollar gold standard despite its portrait being larger than Type II.
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- United States
- Face denomination
- 1 U.S. dollars
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
- Gross weight (grams)
- 1.67181188
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.048375
- Diameter (mm)
- 15
- Edge
- Reeded
- Mint
- United States Mint; mint facility varies by issue
- Mint mark
- Varies by issue; inspect reference
- Issue years
- 1856–1889
These are large-head Type 3 dates across all mints; 1856 also has a small-head San Francisco issue.
- Source precision
- Nominal 25.8-grain gross standard; .900 gold; exact modern unit conversion stored to 8 decimals; fine-weight override derived from historical standard. U.S. Mint nominal diameter; specialist references also use different rounded measurements. This is not a manufacturing tolerance.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
A left-facing Liberty with feathered headdress fills more of the center than the small-head design. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs around the portrait. The enlarged head on the pictured 1856 coin is the useful subtype distinction; image crop size is not coin size.
Reverse: identify the back
The representative reads 1 DOLLAR above 1856 inside the tied wreath. The denomination remains one dollar. A three-dollar gold piece also uses a headdress and wreath but reads 3 DOLLARS and has a different nominal mass.
History and purpose
The Mint dates the large-head redesign to 1856 and records the end of gold-dollar production in 1889. The portrait change does not turn the coin into a higher gold denomination. The primary distinction here is the visual type and original series period.
How to identify this variant
Read the number 1 on the reverse, match the larger portrait and inspect the date. The issuer’s nominal diameter is 15 mm. Record a measured diameter separately rather than representing that rounded reference as an exact tolerance.
Understanding its metal content
The historical standard is 25.8 grains gross at .900 fineness. Multiply 25.8 by .900 and divide by 480 grains per troy ounce: 0.048375 fine-gold troy oz. Gross metric mass is derived using 0.06479891 g per grain; the displayed 1.67181188 g is a conversion of the nominal standard, not an assay or the measured mass of a worn coin. The remaining 10% is alloy metal; historical legislation permitted copper or a copper/silver alloy.
Dates, varieties and composition changes
This type begins in the year in which the preceding small-head type also had a final issue. A date of 1856 therefore needs subtype review. This guide’s 1856–1889 span does not assert that every mint made coins in every year.
Melt value versus collector value
Separate individual dates and mint marks before treating a group as interchangeable metal. Preserve holders and details of repairs, mounts or damage. The same standard fine-gold weight does not imply equal collector value across all issues.
Authenticity and condition
Compare the larger headdress portrait, wreath, reverse denomination, lettering and edge. Tiny gold coins can be mounted or altered; a holder or jewelry fitting prevents a direct coin-only weight check. Request non-destructive examination of doubtful examples.
Selling this coin
Use Type III Large Head in the description and include both sides at readable scale. List dates and mint marks where legible. Do not combine three-dollar pieces or earlier gold-dollar types under this identity merely because the portraits look related.
Sources and calculation methodology
The historical Mint report and Coinage Act document nominal gold standards; NIST documents the unit conversions. The fine-weight override retains the result from grains instead of recalculating from a rounded catalog gram weight. Design and date references are separate from photographs. These calculations describe correctly identified genuine coins at standard weight. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. A collector assessment and a purchase offer are separate from metal content.
Common questions
Does a larger Type III portrait mean more gold than Type II?
No. The original gold-dollar nominal standard is unchanged. The larger portrait identifies a design type, not extra fine-gold weight.
How can I distinguish it from a three-dollar gold piece?
Read the reverse: this coin says 1 DOLLAR. The three-dollar denomination has its own weight and profile; a headdress alone is insufficient.
References
- U.S. Mint: Gold Dollar history and nominal dimensions — identity; dates Type III 1856–1889; design Longacre large-head Indian Princess; diameter 15 mm nominal (checked 2026-10-10)
- Historical Coinage Act of 1873, sections 13–14 — weight 25.8 grains; fineness .900; gold-alloy standard; historical reference, not current legal guidance (checked 2026-10-10)
Issue-year references
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
Related coins
Indian Princess Gold Dollar — Type II Small Head
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1854–1856
Fine gold: 0.048375 troy oz
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