1911-D Indian Head Eagle
Circulation strike struck at the Denver Mint · 30,100 made
- Mintage
- 30,100
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 16.718 g
- Diameter
- 27 mm
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 a 1911-D Indian Head Eagle worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1911-D is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
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 1911-D Indian Head Eagle rare?
- Yes. Only 30,100 were made, 2nd lowest of the 31 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1911-D Indian Head Eagle real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.4837 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1911 Indian Head Eagle?
- On the reverse, to the left of the arrow points. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is D, for Denver.
- Which Denver dates near 1911 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Denver issue had a smaller mintage than the 1911-D.
- How many 1911-D Indian Head Eagle coins were made?
- 30,100.
What to check on your 1911-D
- Make sure the mint mark really is a D. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1911-S (51,000 made).
- Count the stars on the edge. Eagles dated 1907 to 1911 have 46 raised stars, one for each state at the time. A coin with this date and 48 stars is not genuine.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the feathers above Liberty's eye and the eagle's wing. Gold is soft, so bag marks on the cheek strongly affect the grade.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1911-D weighs 16.718 g and measures 27 mm. 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 1911-D
Production at Denver fell off a cliff in 1911. Only 30,100 were made, against 2.4 million the year before. That drop is why the 1911-D is the one people look for. After that, Denver didn't make another until 1914.
The other mints made far more that year: 1911 alone came to 505,500, roughly 17 for every 1911-D. If you're checking a pile of 1911 coins, the D is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1908 (No Motto) (33,500) and the 1915-S (59,000).
Of the 6 Indian Head Eagles Denver struck between 1908 and 1914, this is the scarcest. No Indian Head Eagle of the 1910s had a smaller run.
More on the 1911-D
Denver produced two famous gold keys in 1911. Alongside this eagle, the 1911-D Indian Head quarter eagle became the key date of Pratt's small gold series, so the Denver Mint's 1911 gold output is a magnet for collectors in two different sets.
Most surviving 1911-D eagles are circulated or in lower uncirculated grades. Coins with full luster and few marks are very rare. Collectors building a complete set usually leave this coin for last, because even worn examples are a significant rarity. Many who can't justify a top-grade piece settle happily for a problem-free Extremely Fine or About Uncirculated coin with original color, which still shows the headdress and wing detail well. Avoid coins that look bright yellow and polished; cleaning cuts the premium sharply even on a key like this. If you think you've found one, compare the D with a certified example before getting excited, then let a grading service make the call.
Steady issues and the 1911-D key (1909 to 1916)
With the motto in place, eagles were struck in most years at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. The 1911-D, only 30,100, is the key of the period. The 1911-S, 1913-S and 1915-S are scarce, especially well struck. Denver struck 2,356,640 in 1910, the largest branch mint total of these years.
In 1912 two more stars were added to the edge for New Mexico and Arizona, raising the count from 46 to 48. Mint marks sit on the reverse to the left of the arrowheads. Large gold coins like these picked up bag marks easily, so the cheek and the field in front of the face are the places to check. The 1916-S closed the period before World War I halted production.
How to recognize it
Augustus Saint-Gaudens' $10 gold piece shows Liberty in a feathered headdress inscribed LIBERTY, with 13 stars above and the date below. The reverse shows a standing eagle on a bundle of arrows with an olive branch. The edge has raised stars: 46 until 1911 and 48 from 1912. IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse field in 1908. The mint mark is to the left of the arrows.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Indian Head Eagle (1907–1933) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1911 |
| Mint | Denver Mint |
| Mint mark | "D" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 30,100 |
| Face value | $10 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 16.718 grams |
| Diameter | 27 mm |
| Edge | Raised stars (46, then 48 from 1912) |
| Designer | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
Other 1911 Indian Head Eagle issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 Indian Head Eagle | 505,500 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1911-D Indian Head Eagle | 30,100 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1911-S Indian Head Eagle | 51,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Indian Head eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.