1854-O Three Dollar Gold (1854-O $3) NGC AU53. This lustrous and lovely first-year-of-type branch mint 1854-O Three Dollar Gold Piece in an old NGC holder shows some surface abrasions, wear, and a couple of obverse scratches, all of which are consistent with the grade. The strike is average with slight weakness on the obverse at OF, the top feathers, and the hair below LIBE. On the reverse weakness is seen on the bow and the mintmark. There are clash marks on both sides of the coin and a die crack through the mintmark, neither of which negatively affects the coin’s grade or value.

Designed by James Longacre, the three dollar gold coin used an Indian Princess motif. Longacre wanted to create a design that was distinctly different from the quarter and half eagle coronet design. It shows a Caucasian Liberty facing left wearing a stylized headdress. LIBERTY is inscribed on the headband. She is surrounded by the required inscription. In using the Indian Princess, Longacre felt that he was designing something that was uniquely American rather than an adoption of the classics. The reverse shows an open wreath of corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco tied at the bottom with a bow. The denomination 3 appears at the top center of the wreath, with DOLLARS and the date below within the wreath.

Many 1854 three dollar coins were saved as souvenirs. Others briefly circulated and ended up being used for jewelry. Only 1854 had smaller letters in DOLLARS. The other dates all have large letters for the denomination.