1854 $1 Indian Princess Head Gold Coin Type 2 NGC MS 61

1854 $1 Indian Princess Head Gold Coin Type 2 NGC MS 61

Capture the beginning of a short-lived chapter in American gold coinage with the 1854 $1 Indian Princess Head Gold Coin Type 2 NGC MS 61. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this historic Gold Dollar contains approximately 0.0484 troy oz of actual gold and is composed of 90% gold and 10% copper. Certified MS 61 by NGC, this example remains in Mint State condition and represents the first year of the Type 2 Indian Princess Head design, also known as the Small Head type.

In 1854, the U.S. Mint redesigned the Gold Dollar to address the inconveniently small diameter of the original Type 1 coin. Chief Engraver James B. Longacre increased the diameter while retaining essentially the same weight, resulting in a thinner coin with more surface area. He also introduced a new obverse featuring a female representation of Liberty wearing a feathered headdress, a design closely related to his contemporary $3 Gold Piece. The reverse displays 1 DOLLAR and the date within a wreath of corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco.

Despite its larger diameter, the Type 2 design proved difficult to strike sharply, particularly around its highest design elements. The Mint therefore revised the Gold Dollar again in 1856, making the Type 2 one of the shortest-lived major U.S. gold coin types. The 1854 Philadelphia issue had a reported circulation-strike mintage of 783,943 coins.

Coin Specifications:

• Grade as mS 61 by NGC
• Type: Indian Princess Head Type 2 (Small Head) 
• Contains 0.0484 troy oz of .900 gold
• Denomination: $1
• Produced by the US Mint
• Presented in an official NGC holder
• Obverse:  Features Lady Liberty wearing a native headdress. Inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."
• Reverse: Displays the denomination and year of mintage surrounded by a laurel wreath.

Why Own This 1854 Type 2 Gold Dollar?

• First-Year Type 2: Introduced as a completely redesigned Gold Dollar in 1854.
• Short-Lived Design: The Type 2 format was replaced after only a brief production period.
• Historic Transition Year: Both Type 1 and Type 2 Gold Dollars were produced in 1854.
• Classic Longacre Artwork: Features the distinctive Indian Princess Head motif.
• Pre-Civil War Gold: An authentic piece of mid-19th-century U.S. Mint history.

Few U.S. gold designs had as brief a lifespan as the Type 2 Indian Princess Gold Dollar, giving the series a distinctive place in American numismatics. As a first-year 1854 issue preserved in NGC MS 61, this coin represents the Mint’s attempt to improve the tiny Gold Dollar while showcasing Longacre’s newly introduced Indian Princess motif. Its transitional-year significance and short production period give the piece a compelling historical identity within classic U.S. gold collecting. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our customer service representatives.

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