Liberty Head Quarter Eagle — $2½
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1840–1907
Fine gold: 0.120938 troy oz
United States • 3 U.S. dollars
Indian Princess Three-Dollar Gold Piece
Indian Princess Three-Dollar Gold Piece has nominal fine gold of 0.145125 troy oz (4.513892 g) at the historical .900 standard. This record is for the original $3 gold denomination of 1854–1889. A similar headdress portrait on a gold dollar does not make the two denominations equivalent.
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
- 3 U.S. dollars
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
- Gross weight (grams)
- 5.01543563
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.145125
- Diameter (mm)
- 20.5
- Edge
- Reeded
- Mint
- United States Mint; mint facility varies by issue
- Mint mark
- Varies by issue; inspect reference
- Issue years
- 1854–1889
The full dated family includes proofs. In particular, 1875–1876 appear in the proof list rather than the regular-strike list.
- Source precision
- Nominal 77.4-grain gross standard; .900 gold; exact modern unit conversion stored to 8 decimals; fine-weight override derived from historical standard. Catalog reference diameter, not a tolerance or authentication threshold.
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 1854 museum example shows a left-facing Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the rim. The design is visibly related to the Indian Princess gold dollars, but the reverse is decisive.
Reverse: identify the back
The central inscription is 3 DOLLARS above 1854, surrounded by a tied wreath. Read the numeral and plural DOLLARS before counting the piece. A gold dollar reads 1 DOLLAR and belongs to a smaller physical and metal standard.
History and purpose
Specialist attribution identifies Longacre’s original three-dollar series beginning in 1854 and ending in 1889. The denomination occupies its own place between the quarter eagle and half eagle; it is not a three-coin collection or a modern bullion size.
How to identify this variant
Pair the headdress portrait with 3 DOLLARS and an original-series date. The reviewed catalog reference diameter is 20.5 mm. A display enlarged to match another coin’s photo does not supply a physical scale.
Understanding its metal content
The historical standard is 77.4 grains gross at .900 fineness. Multiply 77.4 by .900 and divide by 480 grains per troy ounce: 0.145125 fine-gold troy oz. Gross metric mass is derived using 0.06479891 g per grain; the displayed 5.01543563 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
The 1854 representative illustrates one issue in a longer series. Dates, mint marks and proof status require separate attribution. This overview does not promise that every year and mint combination exists or assign a scarce issue from a faint mark.
Melt value versus collector value
Preserve the reverse denomination, date and surfaces. A less familiar face denomination can be mistaken for another gold coin; identify it before calculating a lot. Collector value is not assumed to be three times the value of a gold dollar.
Authenticity and condition
Compare the numeral 3, wreath details, portrait, edge and nominal dimensions together. Do not weigh a holder or mount as coin mass. Have questionable letters, dates or altered surfaces assessed without destructive tests.
Selling this coin
Use Three-Dollar Gold Piece in the appraisal description and include both sides at a readable scale. Explain any mount, repair or holder. Count it separately from Indian Princess gold dollars even when their portraits appear similar.
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
Is this an Indian Princess gold dollar with a different date?
No. The reverse denomination is 3 DOLLARS. Its nominal fine gold is 0.145125 troy oz, three times the original gold-dollar standard.
Does this page certify a proof or a rare mint mark?
No. Those require issue-specific examination and evidence. The museum photo is an identification example.
References
- U.S. Mint: Gold Dollar history and nominal dimensions — design relationship Longacre Indian Princess gold-dollar types; original gold-dollar comparison, not three-dollar physical specifications (checked 2026-10-10)
- Historical Coinage Act of 1873, sections 13–14 — weight 77.4 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.
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