1855 Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 758,269 made
- Mintage
- 758,269
- 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 1855 Gold Dollar worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
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 1855 Gold Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 758,269 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1855 Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1855 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 1855 are scarcer?
- The 1860 at 36,514, the 1858 at 117,995, the 1859 at 168,244, plus 1 more. So the 1855 is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1855 Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 758,269.
What to check on your 1855
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1855 Gold Dollar Proof (12 made) is the one to compare with.
- 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 1855 weighs 1.672 g. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer.
The story of the 1855
Output at Philadelphia slipped to 758,269 in 1855, from 855,502 the year before. In 1856 the figure was 1.8 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1855-D (1,811) and 1855-C (9,803) and 1855-O (55,000). In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1857 (774,789) and the 1854, Type 2 (783,943).
Across Philadelphia's 42 Gold Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1875 with 400 made. The 1855 is one of the easier ones. Within the 1850s it's 31st smallest of 38, between the 1850 (481,953) and the 1857 (774,789).
Type 1 ends and the Indian Princess (1854 to 1856)
In 1854 the gold dollar was made thinner and wider, about 15 mm, to make it easier to handle. Longacre's Type 2 design shows Liberty wearing a feathered headdress. Type 1 coins were still struck early in 1854 at Philadelphia and Dahlonega. San Francisco struck its first gold dollars that year, all of the Type 1 design.
Type 2 dollars struck poorly because the high relief of the headdress sat opposite the date. The central digits of the date are often weak. The type was made only in 1854 and 1855 plus the 1856-S. The 1855-C, 1855-D and 1855-O are prized branch mint issues, with the 1855-D the rarest at 1,811 struck. In 1856 Philadelphia switched to the larger head Type 3, which comes with slanted and upright 5 dates.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1855
Arrows beside the date marked the reduced-weight silver coins for the last time. The San Francisco Mint struck its first silver coins: quarters and half dollars.
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 | 1855 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 758,269 |
| 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 1855 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1855 Gold Dollar | 758,269 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1855 Gold Dollar Proof | 12 | Proof | – |
| 1855-O Gold Dollar | 55,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1855-C Gold Dollar | 9,803 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1855-D Gold Dollar | 1,811 | 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.