1855-P

1855 marks the second and final year of the Small Indian Princess Head gold dollar from Philadelphia. James B. Longacre, Mint Chief Engraver from 1844 to 1869, had rolled out the new Type 2 design in 1854 to replace the Liberty Head Type 1. The Philadelphia Mint produced 758,269 coins in 1855, then handed the design's final Philadelphia chapter over to a redesign. By late 1856 Longacre had enlarged the princess head and shifted the date plane to fix the design's signature problem, and Philadelphia switched to the Type 3 layout the same year. 1855 was also the only year branch mints engaged with Type 2: Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans all struck their sole Type 2 gold dollars alongside Philadelphia, making the year the high-water mark for the type's geographic spread.

The defining issue on every Type 2 is strike. Longacre's high-relief Indian Princess obverse sits opposite the date and lower wreath on the reverse, and the press could not draw enough metal into both sides at once. The result: weak or nearly invisible dates, soft hair detail, and indistinct wreath veins are normal on 1855 Philadelphia coins, not damage. Authentication on this issue runs through the basics. The coin should weigh 1.672 grams in 0.900 fine gold, with a 15 mm diameter and a reeded edge; cast counterfeits typically miss on weight or show seams along the reeding. Examiners also use coin alignment, a 180-degree reverse rotation relative to the obverse, as a quick check against altered or fantasy coins. Buying certified through PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, or NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, removes the strike-versus-wear judgment that confuses the weak-date question.

As a date, 1855 Philadelphia is the most available Type 2 by a wide margin and is the standard type-set choice for collectors who want a Type 2 coin without paying the Charlotte or Dahlonega premium. Circulated grades through About Uncirculated trade routinely; Mint State coins exist in volume too, but coins with a fully struck date and crisp wreath are scarce in any grade and command a real premium over typical strikes. For deeper context on the design and its short three-year run, see the Indian Princess Small Head Gold Dollar series history.