1877 Large Head Indian Princess Gold Dollar

1877 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars are usually collected by numismatists who pursue pre-1933 U.S. gold coins in general. 1877 gold dollar coins are quite scarce, as most have been either melted or otherwise damaged. That leaves behind relatively few problem-free specimens for coin collectors today. Gold dollar coins circulated throughout the western United States during the 1840s, 1850s, and early 1860s, yet production continued through the 1880s to fulfill the economic demands of commerce. It was during the latter 1860s and beyond that roughly 3,000 to 6,000 were made during any given year, with a few exceptions.

1877 gold dollar coins were struck only at the Philadelphia mint, though both business-strike and proof specimens were made. Here is a glance at the mintages and values of these gold coins:

• 1877, 3,900 minted; $482

• 1877 proof, 20; $8,000

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

1877 gold dollars measure just 15 millimeters in diameter, weigh only 1.672 grams, and contain a relatively miniscule 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. One of the most popular ways to collect these gold dollars is by type, with the Indian Princess Large Head dollars representing one of three types of $1 gold coins.

James B. Longacre designed 1877 Indian Princess gold dollar coins. He served as the United States Mint Chief Engraver from the years 1844 through 1869, and he designed several other important U.S. coins during his time 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).