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1879
| Weight | 1.672 g |
| Diameter | 15 mm |
| Mint | Philadelphia |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,030 |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 90% Gold, 10% Copper |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-5316 |
Collection
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No additional varieties recorded for this strike.
External references
3,030 gold dollars left the Philadelphia Mint in 1879, the year specie payments finally resumed on January 1. For the first time since 1861, greenbacks were redeemable for gold at par. Gold coins could theoretically circulate at face value again, but the gold dollar was so small and so easily lost that the public showed little interest in carrying them. The denomination had found a permanent home in proof sets and collector albums. Pockets and cash registers had moved on.
PCGS estimates roughly 40 to 60 survive across all grades. The 1879 is scarce, with Uncirculated examples uncommon. The date marks the end of the gold premium era that had defined the denomination since 1861, but the gold dollar's return to face value did nothing to restore its commercial utility.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | — | — |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | — | — |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | — | — |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | $345 | $395 |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | $365 | $420 |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | $370 | $430 |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | $595 | $685 |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | $1,285 | $1,360 |
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Is the 1879 Indian Princess (Large Head) Gold Dollar a key date?
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