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Gold Dollars Liberty Head Gold Dollars Indian Head Gold Dollars
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Gold Dollars
1849 to 1889
Gold Dollars
Liberty Head
Gold Dollars
1849 to 1854
Liberty Head
Gold Dollars
Indian Head
Gold Dollars
1854 to 1889
Indian Head
Gold Dollars
Commemorative
Gold Dollars
Gold Dollars
of Philadelphia
Gold Dollars
of Charlotte
Gold Dollars
of Dahlonega
Gold Dollars
of New Orleans
Gold Dollars
of San Francisco
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About Gold Dollars
The smallest of America’s gold coinage has an intriguing and fitting place in American numismatics. The coin stands in a unique position as being unwanted by the Mint but desired by the public while enjoying an active life cycle through a critical period in America’s growth as a developing nation.
The earliest proposals for a gold dollar date back to 1791, before even the Mint was established, as part of the recommendations of Alexander Hamilton to establish a decimal based monetary system. As gold and silver were intended to be legal tender, Hamilton’s suggestion was to have two dollar coins, one coined in silver and the other made in gold. Congress agreed on the silver dollar only.
About Liberty Head Gold Dollars
As the gold dollar did finally launch in 1849, its first design bore a left-facing head of Liberty as engraved by James B. Longacre. The head is surrounded by thirteen stars to represent the original colonies. On the reverse, a laurel wreath enclosed the denomination and the year of minting. The country’s name surrounds this wreath. Any mintmark, when present, would be positioned below the bottom of the wreath.
The Liberty Head Gold Dollars stand as the smallest coin ever minted by the United States. Their diameter of just 13 millimeters was the biggest concern and reason to delay the creation of a gold dollar in the first place. But once authorized by Congress, over 11,000,000 would be struck by each of the five contemporary Mints. Aside from Philadelphia, who produced the majority of these coins, dies were sent out to Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and even San Francisco when the westernmost facility opened its doors in 1854.
About Indian Head Gold Dollars
Indian Head Gold Dollars were made in response to the small size of the previous Liberty Head Dollars. The diameter was enlarged to 15 millimeters and the coin’s thickness reduced. The obverse and reverse design now matched to the contemporary three dollar gold piece.
Minting took place at Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and San Francisco. At the outbreak of the Civil War, all four branch mints ceased production. Dahlonega’s creation of 1,250 coins in 1861 was done by the Confederacy. After 1862, mintages at Philadelphia dropped sharply until a minute demand arose in 1873 and 1874. San Francisco would only strike the small coins once more in 1870.
