#1 Indian Princess Head Three Dollar Buyer Las Vegas & Henderson

History

Authorized by the Coinage Act of 1853, a unique denomination of three dollars was introduced. First minted in 1854, this coin was not particularly popular with the public and so saw little circulation. Why was such an unusual denomination even introduced? It is theorized that the Three Dollar gold piece may have been introduced due to the fact that postage stamps of the time cost three cents, thus a person would be able to purchase one hundred stamps in exchange for the three dollar coin. In addition, three cent coins were in circulation at the time, so the three dollar coin could be exchanged for one hundred three cent pieces. In any event, these coins were minted in fairly low numbers, most mintages being less than 10,000 coins. This coin is also unique in that the design of Liberty resembled an Indian Princess as the head of Liberty was displayed with a bonnet of feathers. The Indian Princess Head dollar coin series was minted from 1854 until it was discontinued in 1889. Minting of the coin took place at the Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans and Dahlonega mints.

The obverse or front of the Three Dollar coin, as mentioned, displays the head of Liberty with her hair running down her neck and wearing an Indian headdress or bonnet with a band inscribed with the word “Liberty”. As was the case with the one dollar coin of the same period, no stars are present; instead the words “United States Of America” surround the head of Liberty. The reverse of the coin displays an ornate wreath. Inside the wreath are the denomination, (written as “3 Dollars”) and the date of mintage. The mintmark appears just below the wreath at the bottom of the coin.

Value

There are various factors that go into determining the value of the Indian Princess Head Three Dollar gold coin. First, of course, is the gold content. The diameter of the three dollar gold piece is 20.5 mm and the overall weight is 5.015 grams. They were made with 90% gold, (the other 10% is copper added for durability). While they have a “3 Dollar” face value, their intrinsic value, tied to the gold content, equates to 0.14512 of a troy ounce. So, regardless of other factors, these coins will always be worth an amount equal to their gold weight consistent with the current gold spot price or “melt value”. Other factors that determine value include scarcity, variety, mintmark and condition.

Since the mintages of Three dollar gold pieces were relatively low for all years, there are no particularly common dates and so all coins in this series carry a premium over their melt value except for those in relatively poor condition. Many of the dates in lower grade conditions of fine to very fine are worth between $800 and $1,600, exceeding their gold content value. These same coins can be worth up to $10,000 in high mint state. Branch mint coins from the Dahlonega and New Orleans mint carry a substantial premium and can reach values exceeding $100,000 in mint state. This series also had proof coins for many of the years of mintage, all of which are worth in the tens of thousands of dollars. The 1870 S is a unique rarity with only one specimen known and valued in excess of $6,000,000.

Because there are so many varied opinions on the condition (or grade) of a coin, the values mentioned reflect the highest retail prices that have been obtained for those coins that have been assessed by a third party grading company. Such coins have been authenticated, graded and encapsulated by expert coin grading companies to minimize any doubt as to their authenticity, quality and value and therefore their potential worth.

We Buy Indian Princess Head Three Dollar Gold Coins

We want to buy your coins and as a business it is our pledge to offer you the best value for your coins, however, always remember that the prices you may find online or in price guides usually represent the highest retail value for the coin in an already certified condition. As a trusted dealer we will have our coin specialists evaluate your coins at no cost and offer you a price that is both fair for you, but that also allows us to realize a reasonable profit.