Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Dollar 'Small Indian Head' Type 2
| Issuer | United States Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1854-1856 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1785-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Left-facing effigy of Liberty rendered as a Native American princess, wearing an elaborate feathered and beaded headdress inscribed LIBERTY across the band, with flowing hair curling at the neck. The portrait is executed in high relief with fine sculptural detail on the headdress plumage and facial features. The circular legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the effigy, with the inscription reading from lower left to lower right along the raised rim. A fine beaded border encircles the entire design. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Type 2 dollar was James Longacre's attempt to fix a practical problem: the original Type 1 gold dollar was so small and thin that it disappeared into pockets and purses, generating constant public complaint. His solution — enlarging the diameter while keeping the same weight — produced a thinner planchet that turned out worse in practice. The recessed relief of the new design sat so deep in the dies that the mint could rarely achieve a fully struck example, and the series was abandoned after just three years.