1852-O Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 140,000 made
- Mintage
- 140,000
- 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 1852-O Gold Dollar worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1852-O sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
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 1852-O Gold Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 140,000 were made, 58th lowest of the 75 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1852-O Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1852 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 1852 are scarcer?
- The 1850-O at 14,000, the 1855-O at 55,000. So the 1852-O is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1852-O Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 140,000.
What to check on your 1852-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 1852-D (6,360 made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- 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 1852-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 1852-O
New Orleans made 140,000 in 1852, down from 290,000 in 1851. The next year it made 290,000 (1853-O).
The other mints made far more that year: 1852 alone came to 2 million, roughly 15 for every 1852-O. If you're checking a pile of 1852 coins, the O is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1873 (125,100) and the 1858 (117,995).
Only the 1850-O and the 1855-O have a lower mintage among New Orleans's 6 Gold Dollars. Within the 1850s it's 26th smallest of 38, between the 1858 (117,995) and the 1859 (168,244).
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 1852
Gold was so plentiful that silver became worth more than face value. Silver coins disappeared from circulation as people hoarded or melted them.
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 | 1852 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 140,000 |
| 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 1852 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1852 Gold Dollar | 2,045,351 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1852-O Gold Dollar | 140,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1852-C Gold Dollar | 9,434 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1852-D Gold Dollar | 6,360 | 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.