1849-O Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 215,000 made
- Mintage
- 215,000
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 1.672 g
- Diameter
- 13 mm (Type 1); 15 mm (Types 2 and 3)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1849-O Gold Dollar worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1849-O Gold Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 215,000 were made, 61st lowest of the 75 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1849-O Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1849 Gold Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. A "D" on a coin dated 1861 or earlier means Dahlonega, Georgia. On this coin the mark is O, for New Orleans.
- Which New Orleans dates near 1849 are scarcer?
- The 1850-O at 14,000, the 1852-O at 140,000. So the 1849-O is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1849-O Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 215,000.
What to check on your 1849-O
- Make sure the mint mark really is a O. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1849-C (11,634 made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1849 Gold Dollar Proof (10 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the hair above the eye and the bow of the wreath. Many gold dollars were made into jewelry, so check for solder marks or removed loops.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1849-O weighs 1.672 g. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the mint mark and date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1849-O
1849 was the first year of the Gold Dollar. New Orleans struck 215,000 of them. The next year it made 14,000 (1850-O).
1849-C came to 11,634 and 1849-D came to 21,588 and 1849 came to 688,567, so neither mint's 1849 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1874 (198,800) and the 1859 (168,244).
New Orleans struck the Gold Dollar in 6 issues between 1849 and 1855. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1850-O (14,000). Within the 1840s it's 3rd smallest of 4, between the 1849-D (21,588) and the 1849 (688,567).
Small Type 1 dollars of the gold rush (1849 to 1853)
The Act of March 3, 1849 created the gold dollar to make use of the flood of California gold. James B. Longacre's Type 1 coin is tiny, about 13 mm across, with a Liberty head and a wreath reverse. Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans all struck it in 1849. By 1853 Philadelphia was producing millions a year.
First-year 1849 coins come with open and closed wreaths and with or without Longacre's L on the truncation. The 1849-C with an open wreath is a great rarity. Charlotte and Dahlonega coins were struck in small numbers and often show weak strikes, while New Orleans pieces are more plentiful. Many Type 1 dollars were made into jewelry, so check for solder marks and polished surfaces.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1849
The California Gold Rush brought a flood of new gold to the Mint. Congress authorized the gold dollar and the $20 double eagle in March 1849. The first gold dollars were struck that year.
How to recognize it
The smallest US coin ever struck came in three types. Type 1 (1849 to 1854) shows a tiny Liberty head and measures only 13 mm. Type 2 (1854 to 1856) is larger and thinner, with Liberty wearing a feathered headdress. Type 3 (1856 to 1889) enlarges the portrait. Every type has a wreath on the reverse around 1 DOLLAR and the date.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Gold Dollar (1849–1889) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1849 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 215,000 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 1.672 grams |
| Diameter | 13 mm (Type 1); 15 mm (Types 2 and 3) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
Other 1849 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1849 Gold Dollar | 688,567 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1849 Gold Dollar Proof | 10 | Proof | – |
| 1849-O Gold Dollar | 215,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1849-C Gold Dollar | 11,634 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1849-D Gold Dollar | 21,588 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Gold dollar (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.