1882 Large Head Indian Princess Gold Dollar

1882 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars are generally pursued by collectors who enjoy pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. 1882 gold dollar coins are scarce, though they are plentiful enough to meet current numismatic demands. While only a few thousand were made, many were saved early on by collectors. Today, some numismatic scholars believe there are more uncirculated gold dollars from the 1880s than there are circulated specimens. In addition to the many gold dollars that were hoarded are others that were given as holiday gifts – many were preserved in decent condition, thus leaving many nice examples for collectors today.

1882 gold dollar coins were produced at the Philadelphia mint as both business strikes and proof coins. What follows is a glance at the mintages and values of these coins:

• 1882, 5,000 minted; $470

• 1882 proof, 125; $5,000

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

1882 gold dollar coins have a diameter of 15 millimeters, weigh 1.672 grams, and contain 0.04837 ounces of gold, meaning they are among the smallest coins the United States Mint ever officially produced. The small size of these gold coins helps make them more affordable than other, larger gold coins on the market. However, gold dollar coins have a remarkably high numismatic premium as compared to their intrinsic value, thus making them an economically inefficient purchase for bullion investors who want the most amount of gold at the cheapest price.

1882 gold dollars were designed by United States Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, who served in that role from 1844 through 1869. During his tenure, Longacre designed many coins, including 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).