Numismatic

1855 $3 Gold Princess XF-45 NGC

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In 1855, the Philadelphia Mint produced a distinctive gold coin with a face value of three dollars. This unusual denomination, containing 0.1451 troy ounces of pure gold, represents a fascinating chapter in American coinage history. The piece is composed of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper alloy, a standard composition for the era's circulating precious metal issues. The design, often referred to as the Gold Princess, features a stylized portrait on the obverse and a detailed wreath on the reverse enclosing the denomination and the date. This particular specimen has survived for over a century and a half, displaying honest wear that places it in extremely fine condition, specifically graded as XF-45 by independent certification. With a total mintage of just 50,555 pieces, these coins were struck without a mint mark, denoting their origin at the main Philadelphia facility. Today, they stand as remarkable survivors of the pre-1933 gold era, offering a tangible connection to the monetary systems of the mid-19th century.