1864 Three Dollar Gold (1864 $3) PCGS AU55. This lightly worn, still lustrous 1864 three dollar piece is sharply struck on the obverse. We see all the details of Liberty’s hair and feathers. There are some surface abrasions and slight wear on the high points, in keeping with the AU55 grade. Although not note on the holder, the coin was struck by rotated dies. The three dollar gold coin was designed by James Longacre and issued from 1854 to 1889. It shows an “Indian Princess” who is actually a Caucasian woman wearing a feathered headdress. The coin is a slight variation of Longacre’s gold dollar design.

Researchers have speculated as to why the government chose to create a three dollar coin. Some suggest it was so the public could easily purchase sheets of one hundred three cent stamps. Later they could have been used to purchase three cent coins.

With an original mintage of only 2,630, the coin is rare in all grades. The PCGS population report shows 124 coins certified in all grades.