The Three Dollar gold piece pairs Longacre's Indian Princess with an agricultural wreath and a denomination that never achieved broad circulation.

This guide covers the 1854–1889 catalog, including Philadelphia issues, the one-year Dahlonega and New Orleans coins, proofs, and the unique recorded 1870-S.

Core specifications

Issue period
1854–1889
Catalog mints
4
Reported catalog mintage
539,982
Composition
90% Gold - 10% Copper
Diameter
20.5 mm
Weight
5.015 g

A distinctive coin remains a limited-use denomination

The Three Dollar piece debuted in 1854 as the Mint expanded its gold denominations and Longacre's design vocabulary.

Most dates were produced in modest quantities, with later years increasingly shaped by collector-oriented proofs and very small business-strike totals.

Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type

Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.

The main portrait and date

Liberty wears a feathered headdress inscribed LIBERTY and faces left, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Denomination, subject, and mint mark

A wreath of corn, wheat, cotton, and tobacco surrounds 3 DOLLARS and the date.

Where the cataloged coins were made

Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.

  • P — Philadelphia: 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889; 452,761. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
  • S — San Francisco: 1855, 1856, 1857, 1860, 1870; 62,101. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
  • O — New Orleans: 1854; 24,000. Confirm the O mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
  • D — Denver: 1854; 1,120. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.

Representative issues that explain the series

Begin with a readable Philadelphia type coin before separating early branch issues, low-mintage later dates, and proof-only records.

  • 1854 P — 138,618. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1854 D — 1,120. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1854 O — 24,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1870 S - Unique — 1. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1875 P - Proof Only — 20. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1889 P — 2,429. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.

Issue catalog

1854 P Three Dollar1854 D Three Dollar1854 O Three Dollar1855 P Three Dollar1855 S Three Dollar1856 P Three Dollar1856 S Three Dollar1857 P Three Dollar1857 S Three Dollar1858 P Three Dollar1859 P Three Dollar1860 P Three Dollar1860 S Three Dollar1861 P Three Dollar1862 P Three Dollar1863 P Three Dollar1864 P Three Dollar1865 P Three Dollar1866 P Three Dollar1867 P Three Dollar1868 P Three Dollar1869 P Three Dollar1870 P Three Dollar1870 S Three Dollar - Unique1871 P Three Dollar1872 P Three Dollar1873 P Three Dollar - Open 31873 P Three Dollar - Closed 31874 P Three Dollar1875 P Three Dollar - Proof Only1876 P Three Dollar - Proof Only1877 P Three Dollar1878 P Three Dollar1879 P Three Dollar1880 P Three Dollar1881 P Three Dollar1882 P Three Dollar1883 P Three Dollar1884 P Three Dollar1885 P Three Dollar1886 P Three Dollar1887 P Three Dollar1888 P Three Dollar1889 P Three Dollar

From one type coin to a complete catalog

  • One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
  • Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
  • Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.

A note on catalog records

This page uses 44 issue records, 0 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.

Sources

  1. The Evolution of Liberty on U.S. Coins — United States Mint
  2. Gold Eagle Coins and Their History — United States Mint
  3. Three Dollar category reference — PCGS CoinFacts