1858 Large Head Indian Princess Gold Dollar

1858 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars are common in terms of date, though certain issues from that year are scarcer than others. This is usually the situation with pre-1933 U.S. gold coins, which by and large are most commonly represented these days by Philadelphia Mint pieces. Mintmarked coins from the Dahlonega and San Francisco mints are generally less common.

Here is a look at the various 1858 Indian Princess Large Head gold dollars, including their mintages and values:

• 1858, 117,995 minted; $396

• 1858-D, 3,477; $2,250

• 1858-S, 10,000; $1,083

*Values are for coins grading Extremely Fine-40.

The D-mint piece from Dahlonega is certainly the rarest of the three different gold dollar issues from 1858. On that note, it should be mentioned that the mintages listed here are not analogous to survival estimates, which are much lower than the numbers above.

As 1858 gold dollars are considered numismatic, or collectible, coins, they do not make prudent investments for those who are looking to make money by purchasing gold coins for their intrinsic bullion quality. The numismatic premiums on all 1858 gold coins are well above the spot values of these coins, therefore making them financially inefficient buys for bullion investors.

1858 gold dollars were designed by James B. Longacre, who served as Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his death in 1869. He is popular for designing coins such as the Flying Eagle cent, Indian Head cent, and two-cent piece, all of which are coins that, like the gold dollar, are popular with coin collectors today.