1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin

The 1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin marks the first year of several that the series would be struck at just one mint. In 1916, all coins were struck at the San Francisco mint, where 138,500 were made, with many surviving today. Indian Head coins were designed by famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and would not be struck again until 1920.
When you buy 1916-S Indian Head $10 Gold Coin, keep in mind that while they are rather easy to find in circulated grades, they are tougher to locate in uncirculated grades than many of the earlier dates are. There are, however, brilliant, uncirculated Indian Head $10 Gold Coins available. While these coins may not be considered overly “rare,” some editions can become quite scarce.

Grading the 1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin

The coin grading process is a long and thorough process. The coin’s final grade, however, is determined by an expert numismatist or team of graders. As is the case with any coin, the better the overall condition is the more valuable that coin may be. You can try to determine what grade your coin may be by performing a thorough inspection of both sides of the coin as well as the coin’s edge.
A magnifying glass can be used to aid in this process.

Use the specifications below to determine how your Indian Head $10 Gold Coin might be graded.

Uncirculated: An uncirculated 1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin will look as if it’s never been handled. Despite the coin’s age, the coin will look like it is fresh from the Mint’s presses. The coin’s images, text and detail will look freshly struck. The coin’s finish however, may give clues as to the coin’s age. By using a magnifying glass to thoroughly inspect your coin, you can take a very close look at the coin’s details such as the minting year to look for any signs of fading or wear.

Extremely Fine: The next step below the brilliant uncirculated grade, an extremely fine 1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin will have very minimal signs of wear and age on the coin’s surfaces, text and imagery. Some of the coin’s images, text or its edge may be worn down. The surface of the coin may feel smoother in general or in certain places from years of exchange and handling.

Fine: A fine coin will exhibit clear signs of wear and tear on imagery or text, although you still can easily determine the coin type and text on the coin. The coin’s images, text and edge may be slightly worn down or more smooth, and the coin’s finish may take on a noticeably duller appearance.

Good: Many years of handling and exchanges have eroded the coin’s images and text, and they may be difficult to identify. A close examination must be done in order to determine the year or other pertinent information. Despite this wear and tear, these coins may still be extremely popular with collectors and enthusiasts because of their limited mintage, design and historical value.

Pricing the 1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin

Giving a coin like the Indian Head $10 Gold Coin an accurate valuation is no more difficult than assessing the coin’s condition. Naturally, collectors are willing to pay higher amounts for coins that have been well-preserved, it should come as no surprise that higher prices accompany coins in the best condition. The chart below will give you a good idea of what you can expect to pay for a coin given its grade.

Indian Head $10 Gold Coin

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1916 Indian Head $10 Gold Coin (S)	N/A	N/A	$985	$1,000
Source: Red Book