$101,200.00 USD
The $3 Indian Princess Head gold piece was designed by James B. Longacre and struck from 1854 to 1889. The 1881 issue comes from the later years of this series, an era characterized by low mintages and increased collector interest in proof coins. Notably, 1881 has the lowest official business strike mintage of any $3 gold piece, with only 500 circulation strikes produced, making it a key date in the series. In addition, the Philadelphia Mint struck just 54 proof specimens in 1881 specifically for collectors.
These proof $3 coins were produced using the meticulous techniques of the era: polished planchets, freshly prepared dies, and multiple strikes to ensure sharp detail. Early strikes from new dies often display a frosted finish on the raised designs against deeply reflective fields, yielding a cameo contrast. When this contrast is especially pronounced on both sides, PCGS designates the coin Deep Cameo (DCAM) to distinguish the heavy frost on devices against mirror-like fields.
Obverse: Features a left-facing portrait of Liberty as a Native American princess, wearing a feathered headdress inscribed with LIBERTY. She is surrounded by the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The portrait is struck in deep relief, and in PR66 DCAM it displays frosty, unbroken texture with dramatic contrast against the mirrorlike field.
Reverse: Shows a unique open wreath composed of corn, cotton, tobacco, and wheat, encircling the denomination 3 DOLLARS and the date 1881. The open-wreath design emphasizes American agricultural abundance, rendered with crisp definition and brilliant reflectivity in Deep Cameo condition.
This Premium Gem proof with Deep Cameo surfaces takes fifth spot on our roster, which was provided by Ron Guth of the Numismatic Detective Agency. However, it is only a single grade point lower than the finest certified representatives, three of which lack the same degree of contrast seen here. The Bass coin was last sold publicly as the Ullmer coin in 1974. Each side features gorgeous, thickly frosted devices and jet-black, deeply mirrored fields. Light yellow-gold color overall.
By the 1880s, $3 gold pieces saw little circulation, and their tiny mintages underscore their niche status. Each coin was struck in 90% gold (net weight 0.1451 troy oz) with a diameter of 20.5 mm. The proof striking process and extremely low mintage make each surviving specimen a miniature work of art from the late 19th-century Mint.
