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$3 Gold Princess, MS 61, Certified PCGS or NGC
Good luster, well struck, no spots.
1854-1889
THREE DOLLAR GOLD PRINCESS
The Three Dollar Gold Princess was issued due to the abundance of gold flowing from the California Gold Rush. This classic beauty was first struck in 1854, and is the only three-dollar gold coin ever struck by the U.S. Mint.
Chief Engraver James B. Longacre designed an "Indian Princess" for his obverse, rather than a profile of a Native American, and she was modeled after the Greco-Roman Venus Accroupie statue, which was displayed in a Philadelphia museum. The Indian Princess wears a feathered headdress with the word "LIBERTY" on the band in raised letters. This particular type of headdress dates back to the earliest known drawings of Native Americans. The reverse displays a wreath with tobacco, wheat, corn, and cotton.
The Three Dollar Gold Princess had a very low mintage and a very short run, and because of this, the entire series is extremely rare today.
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