1849 Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 688,567 made
- Mintage
- 688,567
- 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 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 Gold Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 688,567 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1849 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.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1849 are scarcer?
- The 1850 at 481,953. So the 1849 is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1849 Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 688,567.
What to check on your 1849
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- 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 weighs 1.672 g. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer.
The story of the 1849
1849 was the first year of the Gold Dollar. Philadelphia struck 688,567 of them. The next year it made 481,953 (1850).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1849-C (11,634) and 1849-D (21,588) and 1849-O (215,000). In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1855 (758,269) and the 1857 (774,789).
Philadelphia struck the Gold Dollar in 42 issues between 1849 and 1889. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1875 (400). No Gold Dollar of the 1840s had a bigger run.
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 | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 688,567 |
| 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.