$1 Gold Coin Value (1849 to 1889 Gold Dollar)
As of October 2, 2026, with gold at $4,134.86 per troy ounce, an 1849 to 1889 US gold dollar has a melt value of $200.00, its 0.04837 troy ounces of pure gold times spot. Modern golden dollars (Sacagawea, Native American and Presidential) contain no gold and are worth face value.
US gold dollars struck from 1849 to 1889 contain 0.04837 troy ounces of pure gold. The golden-colored Sacagawea and Presidential dollars of today contain none.
Melt value per coin
$200.00/coin
- Gold content
- 0.04837 troy oz
- Purity
- 90% gold
- Gold spot
- $4,134.86/oz
- As of
- Oct 2, 2026, 16:45 UTC
1 coin: $200.00
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Gold Dollar Specifications
The gold dollar was authorized by the Act of March 3, 1849, the same law that created the double eagle. It weighs 1.672 grams (25.8 grains) at .900 fineness, for 0.04837 troy ounces of pure gold in all three types. That's two fifths of the gold in a $2.50 quarter eagle. The US gold coin melt values table covers every denomination, and the gold price page has the live spot chart.
| Specification | Gold Dollar |
|---|---|
| Years minted | 1849 to 1889 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Gross weight | 1.672 grams (25.8 grains) |
| Fineness | .900 (90% gold) |
| Actual gold weight (AGW) | 0.04837 troy oz (1.505 grams) |
| Diameter | 13 mm (Type 1), 15 mm (Types 2 and 3) |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Mint marks | None (Philadelphia), C (Charlotte), D (Dahlonega), O (New Orleans), S (San Francisco); on the reverse below the wreath |
Are Sacagawea and Presidential Dollars Gold?
No. The golden dollars issued since 2000 (Sacagawea and Native American dollars, and the Presidential dollars first struck in 2007) get their color from manganese brass bonded to a copper core. Overall they're 88.5% copper, 6% zinc, 3.5% manganese and 2% nickel, with no gold or silver, so they're worth $1 unless a collector wants a particular variety or error.
| Specification | Gold dollar (1849 to 1889) | Golden dollar (2000 on) |
|---|---|---|
| Composition | 90% gold | Manganese brass over copper, no gold |
| Weight | 1.672 grams | 8.1 grams |
| Diameter | 13 to 15 mm | 26.5 mm |
| Gold content | 0.04837 troy oz | None |
| Value | Gold melt value plus a collector premium | Face value |
A real gold dollar is tiny, smaller than a modern dime. If the coin in your hand is the size of a quarter or larger and golden in color, it's a modern dollar.
Gold Dollar Melt Value at Different Gold Prices
Each row is 0.04837 troy ounces multiplied by the listed gold price.
| Gold spot price | Gold Dollar melt value |
|---|---|
| $3,500 per oz | $169.30 |
| $3,750 per oz | $181.39 |
| $4,000 per oz | $193.48 |
| $4,250 per oz (closest to current spot) | $205.57 |
| $4,500 per oz | $217.67 |
| $4,750 per oz | $229.76 |
| $5,000 per oz | $241.85 |
Gold Dollar Types 1, 2 and 3
James B. Longacre designed all three. Weight and gold content never changed. In 1854 the Mint made the coin wider and thinner, since the 13 mm original was easy to lose.
| Type | How to identify it |
|---|---|
| Type 1 (1849 to 1854) | Liberty Head, 13 mm; the smallest US coin ever struck |
| Type 2 (1854 to 1856) | Small Indian Princess head, 15 mm and thinner; struck for only three years and the scarcest type |
| Type 3 (1856 to 1889) | Larger Indian Princess head, 15 mm; struck more fully than Type 2 |
Early commemorative gold dollars (1903 to 1922) use the same 1.672 gram standard, but they trade as collector coins well above melt.
Which Gold Dollars Are Worth More Than Melt?
Nearly all of them. A gold dollar holds so little gold that the collector premium is large next to its melt value, even for common dates. The tiers below summarize the PCGS CoinFacts and NGC price guides.
| Coins | Typical value against melt |
|---|---|
| Common Type 1 and Type 3 Philadelphia dates, circulated | Melt plus a premium that's large relative to the gold |
| Certified mint state examples | Premium grows with grade |
| Type 2, any date | Scarcest design; well above Types 1 and 3 |
| Charlotte (C) and Dahlonega (D) issues | Southern branch-mint gold with strong premiums |
| 1861-D | Struck at Dahlonega after the mint came under Confederate control; a famous rarity |
Typical dealer markups on small gold are on the coin premium page.
Published by MetalCharts, a free precious metals resource providing real-time prices, interactive charts, educational guides, and portfolio management tools. All market data sourced from COMEX, LBMA, and LME.
Data Methodology
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