1885 Three Dollar Gold - 1885 $3 PCGS MS63. The 1885 three-dollar gold piece had an original mintage of only 801 pieces. It is fundamentally rare in all grades. In its population report, PCGS shows 16 in MS63 condition. At NGC there are 10 in MS63. These numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions.

This low mintage, Mint State 1885 Three Dollar Gold  piece has exceptionally clean and original surfaces. Subdued mint luster is present within the devices. The strike is above average with details on most of the feather tips, Libertys hair, and the wreath details. The two central numerals of the date are strong. According to Breen the same obverse die was used to make proofs for this date.

The Indian Princess motif was created by James B. Longacre. He had to make a design for the three dollar gold coin that would be distinctly different from the quarter and half eagle coronet designs. The design, similar to his gold dollar Large Head, shows a head of Liberty facing left in profile wearing a stylized headdress. Inscribed on the headband is LIBERTY. She is surrounded by the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. In using the Indian Princess design, Longacre felt that he was creating something that was uniquely American rather than an adoption from the classics. The reverse of the piece shows an open wreath of corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco tied at the bottom with a bow. The denomination 3 appears at the top center of the wreath, with DOLLARS and the date below within the wreath. Longacre liked the wreath design so much that he adopted it for use on the small cent of 1856.

In 1851 a law was passed that authorized a three-cent piece and also made the postage rate three cents. Two years later a new law was passed authorizing a light weight silver three-cent coin and a three-dollar gold coin. Evidently lawmakers believed that the gold coin would be useful to buy rolls of three-cent coins and sheets of stamps. Its closeness to the quarter eagle, which was widely used, made the denomination somewhat illogical, and the public proved indifferent to them.

In 1854 the first and largest mintage was produced. Many were saved as souvenirs. Others briefly circulated and ended up being used for jewelry. Only 1854 had smaller letters in DOLLARS. The other dates all have large letters for the denomination. Mintages were limited after 1854. The 1873 issue had two varieties, an open 3, which was the original, and a closed 3. Both were used for proof coins. In 1872 dies with closed 3s were made for all denominations. Chief Coiner Snowden complained that the 3 could easily be taken for an 8. New dies were prepared with open 3s.