1867 Large Head Indian Princess Gold Dollar

1867 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars are popular among numismatists who enjoy pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. The low mintage of the 1867 gold dollar, a characteristic among 1860s gold dollars, makes them especially scarce today on the marketplace, especially in the higher grades. Many of the surviving pieces are found in well worn condition, which is not surprising given the fact that they were heavily circulated, especially in the West, where gold was found in particular abundance during the Gold Rush heyday of the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s.

The United States Mint branch locations struck many gold coins in the latter 19th century, though only the Philadelphia Mint made 1867 gold dollar coins. Here is a rundown of the mintages and values of 1867 gold dollar coins:

• 1867, 5,200 minted; $791

• 1867 proof, 50; $10,000

*Values are for coins grading Extremely Fine-40, unless otherwise noted.

Gold dollars certainly served an important role in commerce, but they were also quite popular as holiday gifts, and thus some 1867 gold dollars are still found in uncirculated condition. A few of these gold dollars also wound up being incorporated into jewelry, and therefore exhibit signs of damage. Most often, jewelry encasement damage is seen as grooves, heavy nicks, and gouges toward the rims and edges of these coins.

1867 gold dollar coins are physically diminutive in size. They measure just 15 millimeters in diameter, weigh a mere 1.672 grams, and contain only 0.04837 ounces of gold. While they are quite affordable as compared to the absolute cost of larger gold coins, their premiums over spot are comparatively quite high. Therefore, they don’t make economically efficient gold bullion investments.

United States Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre designed 1867 gold dollars. He also designed many other low-denomination United States coins throughout his tenure as chief engraver, a role he served from 1844 until his death in 1869. Just some of the other popular coins he designed include the Flying Eagle cent (produced from 1856-1858), Indian Head cent (1859-1909), two-cent piece (1864-1873), various silver and nickel three-cent coins (1851-1889), and the Shield nickel (1866-1883).