$3 Princess

The $3 Gold Princess is one of the most unusual and fascinating denominations in pre‑1933 U.S. gold, struck for only a brief window from 1854 to 1889. Authorized during the mid‑19th‑century expansion of America’s coinage and postal system, it was likely intended to simplify buying sheets of three‑cent postage stamps and handling bulk transactions in small silver and gold. Designed by Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, the obverse shows Liberty as an “Indian Princess,” wearing a feathered headdress with a band inscribed “LIBERTY,” while the reverse features a distinctive agricultural wreath of corn, wheat, cotton, and tobacco encircling the denomination and date. Although mintages started relatively strong in 1854, the coin never gained wide public use; production dwindled to tiny annual outputs, and the denomination was quietly discontinued after 1889. Today, surviving $3 Gold Princess coins—especially better‑date and higher‑grade pieces—are prized as “investment royalty” for their rarity, odd denomination, and elegant mid‑19th‑century design, making them an eye‑catching specialty addition to a pre‑1933 U.S. gold portfolio built around the more familiar Liberty and Indian issues.