1883 Large Head Indian Princess Gold Dollar

1883 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars are bought by individuals who generally pursue pre-1933 U.S. gold coins. 1883 gold dollar coins are scarce, though not as scarce as the gold dollars from any single given year during the previous decade. Some numismatic scholars believe there are more uncirculated gold dollars from the 1880s than there are circulated specimens, which is largely attributable to the fact that they were hoarded in large numbers. This is a trend that began in the late 1870s and continued through to the end of the series in 1889.

1883 gold dollar coins were struck at the Philadelphia mint as both business strikes and proof coins. Below is a look at the mintages and values of these coins:

• 1883, 10,800 minted; $478

• 1883 proof, 207; $5,000

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

1883 gold dollars measure 15 millimeters in diameter, weigh 1.672 grams, and contain 0.04837 ounces of gold, which means these coins are among the smallest the United States Mint ever 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.

1883 gold dollars were designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, who served in that role from 1844 through 1869. Longacre designed many coins during his long tenure at the Mint, 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).