1856 Liberty Gold Dollar

About This Coin

The 1856 Liberty Gold Dollar is a United States dollar from the Large Indian Princess Head Gold Dollars 1856-1889 series — the first year of the series. In 1856, coins were struck at the Dahlonega and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 3.5 million. This represents the highest annual mintage in the entire series, above the series median of 7,419. The obverse features a female figure wearing a feathered headdress, representing Liberty in the guise of a Native American princess with a larger, more detailed head design and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing the denomination 1 DOLLAR. First year of the Type 3 design, struck mid-year. Upright 5 and Slant 5 varieties exist at Philadelphia. Struck in 90% gold, 10% copper, weighing 1.7 grams, 14.3 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $466 to $120K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $88K in MS62+ grade at David Lawrence RC. Designed by James Barton Longacre.