1850 Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 481,953 made
- Mintage
- 481,953
- 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 1850 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 1850 Gold Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 481,953 were made, 64th lowest of the 75 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1850 Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1850 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 1850 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 1850.
- How many 1850 Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 481,953.
What to check on your 1850
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- 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 1850 Gold Dollar Proof (2 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 1850 weighs 1.672 g. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1850
Philadelphia made 481,953 in 1850, down from 688,567 in 1849. The next year it made 3.3 million (1851).
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1850-C (6,966) and 1850-D (8,382) and 1850-O (14,000). In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1861 (527,150) and the 1849 (688,567).
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). Within the 1850s it's 30th smallest of 38, between the 1853-O (290,000) and the 1855 (758,269).
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 1850
The first $20 double eagles were struck for circulation in 1850, turning the flood of California gold into the highest-denomination US coin of the time.
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 | 1850 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 481,953 |
| 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 1850 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1850 Gold Dollar | 481,953 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1850 Gold Dollar Proof | 2 | Proof | – |
| 1850-O Gold Dollar | 14,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1850-C Gold Dollar | 6,966 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1850-D Gold Dollar | 8,382 | 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.