1876 Large Head Indian Princess Gold Dollar

1876 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars are usually pursued by hobbyists who enjoy collecting pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. 1876 gold dollar coins are scarce; even though a few thousand were made, most have been melted or otherwise damaged, leaving relatively few problem-free specimens behind for coin collectors today. The gold dollar coins circulated throughout the western United States during the 1840s, 1850s, and early 1860s, but production continued through the 1880s to fulfill the economic demands of commerce. Gold dollar coins were also often given as holiday gifts, which is one reason that some of these early gold coins survive today in better circulated and even uncirculated grades.

1876 gold dollar coins were struck at the Philadelphia mint as both business-strike and proof specimens. Here is a look at the mintages and values of these gold coins:

• 1876, 3,200 minted; $490

• 1876 proof, 45; $7,000

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

1876 gold dollars measure 15 millimeters in diameter, weigh 1.672 grams, and contain 0.04837 ounces of gold, making them among the smallest gold coins the United States officially produced. While these tiny gold coins are relatively affordable as compared to larger gold coins, they are actually more costly in terms of their premiums over spot.

James B. Longacre designed 1876 Indian Princess gold dollar coins, which were first produced in 1856. Longacre served as the United States Mint Chief Engraver from the years 1844 through 1869, and he designed many other important U.S. coins during his tenure at the Mint. Among these coins are 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).