1851 Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 3,317,671 made
- Mintage
- 3,317,671
- 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 1851 Gold Dollar worth?
Its gold content does most of the work: a genuine 1851 is worth at least its 0.0484 troy ounces of gold. Collector demand adds a premium for better grades.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1851 Gold Dollar rare?
- No. With 3.3 million made, it's one of the most common Gold Dollars.
- Is the 1851 Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1851 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.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1851 are scarcer?
- The 1850 at 481,953, the 1849 at 688,567, the 1855 at 758,269, plus 4 more. So the 1851 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1851 Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 3,317,671.
What to check on your 1851
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- 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 1851 weighs 1.672 g. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer.
The story of the 1851
Philadelphia ramped up hard in 1851: 3,317,671 coins, about 6.9 times the 1850 run. In 1852 the figure was 2 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1851-D (9,882) and 1851-C (41,267) and 1851-O (290,000).
Across Philadelphia's 42 Gold Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1875 with 400 made. The 1851 is one of the easier ones. Within the 1850s it's 37th smallest of 38, between the 1852 (2 million) and the 1853 (4.1 million).
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 1851
The three-cent silver piece was introduced in 1851 so people could buy the new three-cent postage stamps. It was the lightest coin the United States has ever issued.
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 | 1851 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,317,671 |
| 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 1851 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 Gold Dollar | 3,317,671 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1851-O Gold Dollar | 290,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1851-C Gold Dollar | 41,267 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1851-D Gold Dollar | 9,882 | 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.