1889 Proof

The 1889 proof gold dollar is the final proof issue of the denomination. An estimated 1,779 proofs were struck, the highest proof mintage in the series, as collectors recognized that the gold dollar was ending and rushed to acquire the terminal proof. The coin marks the close of a proof series that had begun with the Type 1 design in 1849 and continued through forty years and three design types.

The 1889 proof is the most available proof gold dollar in the series, thanks to its high mintage and strong collector preservation. Certified examples are readily available in grades from PR60 through PR67, and the coin's terminal-year status makes it one of the most collected proof gold dollar dates. A collector who owns the 1889 proof holds the final statement of a denomination that Congress discontinued the following year, ending forty years of the smallest gold coin in American history.