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
United States • 1 U.S. dollars
Liberty Head Gold Dollar — Type I
Liberty Head Gold Dollar — Type I has nominal fine gold of 0.048375 troy oz (1.504631 g) at the historical .900 standard. This is the original small Liberty-head dollar of 1849–1854. Gold color on a modern one-dollar coin does not identify this gold composition.
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)
- 13
- Edge
- Reeded
- Mint
- United States Mint; mint facility varies by issue
- Mint mark
- Varies by issue; inspect reference
- Issue years
- 1849–1854
Liberty Head Type 1 dates overlap the introduction of the small-head type in 1854; use the design as well as the date.
- 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
The photographed 1849 coin shows Liberty facing left, a coronet marked LIBERTY and a ring of stars. Her curled hair gathers behind the head. The portrait differs from the feathered headdress on the two succeeding gold-dollar types.
Reverse: identify the back
A wreath surrounds 1 DOLLAR and the date. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appears around the rim. The photograph reads 1849 and has no eagle. That reverse denomination distinguishes this very small coin from a similarly colored quarter eagle.
History and purpose
The Mint introduced the gold dollar in 1849. This first portrait was followed by the small-head Indian Princess type in 1854, then the large-head type in 1856. The issuer names Longacre as the designer of the gold-dollar types.
How to identify this variant
Read 1 DOLLAR and the complete year before classifying the portrait. The Mint gives a nominal 13 mm diameter for Type I, illustrating its small size; other specialist catalogs may use a more precise or differently rounded figure. A photograph without scale cannot establish diameter.
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
Type I spans 1849–1854. Both Type I and Type II coins can be dated 1854, so the year alone cannot distinguish them. Mint marks, lettering, die details and condition require issue-level attribution; this profile does not assign a rare variety.
Melt value versus collector value
A small face value is not a small collector interest. Record the mint mark and retain any holder, provenance or original surfaces. Jewelry mounts, solder and removed loops should be described because they affect the actual object and its evaluation.
Authenticity and condition
Compare both designs, denomination, date, reeded edge and physical measurements. A nominal standard is not a test that certifies a coin. Have questionable pieces examined without cutting, polishing or removing a mount yourself.
Selling this coin
Describe the coin as a Type I Liberty Head gold dollar and photograph the wreath, date and any mint mark clearly. Count it separately from modern base-metal dollars and other gold-dollar portraits before requesting an appraisal.
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 gold-colored modern dollar contain this amount of gold?
No. This record concerns original Type I gold dollars. Modern golden-colored circulation dollars use a different composition and cannot be counted here.
Can an 1854 date identify a gold-dollar type?
No. The date overlaps Type I and Type II. Check the Liberty portrait and reverse before selecting a profile.
References
- U.S. Mint: Gold Dollar history and nominal dimensions — identity; dates Type I 1849–1854; design James Barton Longacre; smallest original circulating denomination; diameter 13 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 III Large 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: 1856–1889
Fine gold: 0.048375 troy oz
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