The $3 Gold Indian Princess coin was a pre-1933 gold coin issued by the U.S. Mint from 1854 until 1889. It is a unique and highly collectible piece of United States Mint numismatic history. Designed by James Barton Longacre, the coin depicts a portrait of Lady Liberty as an “Indian Princess,” wearing a Native American-inspired headdress. The coin was minted for a brief time and holds a special place among collectors due to its rarity, limited mintage, and oddity as a $3 coin.
Origins and Historical Context of the $3 Indian Princess
The $3 Gold Indian Princess coin has a unique origin rooted in both philately, the study of postage stamps, and numismatics. In 1851, the United States Postal Service reduced the price of postage stamps from five cents to three cents. To facilitate the purchase of the newly priced stamps, three-cent silver coins were introduced the same year. By similar reasoning, the $3 gold coin was introduced to make it easier for businesses and individuals to purchase full sheets of 100 stamps, which cost $3.
The $3 Gold Indian Princess coin was authorized under the Act of February 21, 1853, as part of a broader effort by the U.S. Mint to create coinage that aligned with practical needs. Its introduction followed the economic boom generated by the California Gold Rush, which flooded the U.S. economy with gold and prompted the mint to expand its range of denominations.
Design and Symbolism of the $3 Gold Indian Princess
James B. Longacre, the Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, designed the $3 Gold Indian Princess coin at the same time he redesigned the gold dollar for a type 2 release. The two coins share a nearly identical design, bearing a distinctly American character, although the $3 coin was made thinner and wider.
On the obverse of the $3 coin is the image of Lady Liberty depicted as an Indian princess, wearing a feathered headdress inscribed with the word LIBERTY. Longacre’s choice to depict Liberty in this way reflected the mid-19th century’s growing interest in Native American themes, while also symbolizing the nation’s broader cultural heritage.
The coin’s reverse design features a wreath composed of agricultural staples of the time, including tobacco, wheat, corn, and cotton. This wreath surrounds the denomination 3 DOLLARS and the year of minting. The inclusion of these crops symbolized the agricultural wealth of the United States, a significant component of the country’s economy during this period.
Mintage and Production of the $3 Indian Princess Coin
The $3 Gold Indian Princess was struck in limited mintages throughout its production years, which makes it a rare and especially valuable find for collectors today. In 1854, the coin was minted at the Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Dahlonega mints, with Philadelphia producing the largest mintage of 138,618 coins. Subsequent years saw steep declines in production as the denomination failed to gain traction in everyday commerce.
Some of the rarest issues of the series come from the later years of production, when mintages dropped to very low numbers. By the 1870s and 1880s, production of the $3 coin had dwindled significantly, with some years seeing as few as 500 coins minted. In several cases, the Philadelphia Mint produced circulation strikes solely to prevent proof coins from becoming instant rarities. Proof coins themselves had even smaller mintages, with some years producing fewer than two dozen.
One of the most famous examples is the 1870-S $3 Gold Indian Princess minted at the San Francisco Mint, of which only a single specimen is known to exist. This lone surviving coin is one of the most coveted in U.S. numismatics.
$3 Gold Indian Princess Mintages by Mint and Year
| Year | Mint | Mintage |
| 1854 | Philadelphia | 138,618 |
| 1854 | Dahlonega | 1,120 |
| 1854 | New Orleans | 24,000 |
| 1855 | Philadephia | 50,555 |
| 1855 | San Francisco | 6,600 |
| 1856 | Philadelphia | 26,010 |
| 1856 | San Francisco | 34,500 |
| 1857 | Philadelphia | 20,891 |
| 1857 | San Francisco | 14,000 |
| 1858 | Philadelphia | 2,133 |
| 1859 | Philadelphia | 15,558 |
| 1860 | Philadelphia | 7,036 |
| 1860 | San Francisco | 7,000 |
| 1861 | Philadelphia | 5,959 |
| 1862 | Philadelphia | 5,750 |
| 1863 | Philadelphia | 5,000 |
| 1864 | Philadelphia | 2,630 |
| 1865 | Philadelphia | 1,140 |
| 1866 | Philadelphia | 4,000 |
| 1867 | Philadelphia | 2,600 |
| 1868 | Philadelphia | 4,850 |
| 1869 | Philadelphia | 2,500 |
| 1870 | Philadelphia | 3,500 |
| 1870 | San Francisco | 1 |
| 1871 | Philadelphia | 1,300 |
| 1872 | Philadelphia | 2,000 |
| 1873 | Philadelphia | 100 |
| 1874 | Philadelphia | 41,800 |
| 1877 | Philadelphia | 1,468 |
| 1878 | Philadelphia | 82,304 |
| 1879 | Philadelphia | 3,000 |
| 1880 | Philadelphia | 1,000 |
| 1881 | Philadelphia | 500 |
| 1882 | Philadelphia | 1,500 |
| 1883 | Philadelphia | 900 |
| 1884 | Philadelphia | 1,000 |
| 1885 | Philadelphia | 800 |
| 1886 | Philadelphia | 1,000 |
| 1887 | Philadelphia | 6,000 |
| 1888 | Philadelphia | 5,000 |
| 1889 | Philadelphia | 2,300 |
Practical Challenges and Discontinuation
Despite its elegant design and the practical reasoning behind its issuance, the $3 coin faced numerous challenges. Chief among these was its awkward denomination, which made it difficult to use in regular commerce. While it was originally intended to make the purchase of postage stamps more convenient, its narrow purpose did not translate well to wider circulation. Merchants and consumers alike found it cumbersome, and the coin saw minimal use outside of specific transactions.
Furthermore, as the coin became more of a novelty than a practical tool for commerce, it was often hoarded or used as a collectible. Some coins were also used as gifts or incorporated into jewelry, further reducing their presence in circulation. In 1889, the Director of the Mint recommended to Congress that the $3 coin be discontinued, stating that it no longer served any useful purpose. The last year of production was 1889, and on September 26, 1890, Congress officially abolished the denomination.
