![]() Mintages were high for the first three years of issue, the Type 1 years. The Three-Cent-Silver Piece, struck from 1851 to 1873, is perhaps the oddest of the “odd-denomination” coins struck by the United States Mint. In fact, the 18 3-cent coins, as well as the 18, were Proof only issues. Of the 1875-89 pieces (1881 excepted) only the moderately scarce 18 pieces had mintages over 41,000 pieces. From 1875-89, mintages for Nickel 3-Cent nickels continued to shrink, except for the date of 1881 when there was a burst of production with a little over 1 million Nickel 3-Cent pieces struck. From 1866-68 mintages were in the 3 to 4 million range. But it is the first year of issue AND a Civil War date, so its priced the same as other more common dates in the series, even though its mintage is much higher. That makes it a relatively common date, and a good deal easier to find than other dates in the series. Some 11.3 million 1865 Nickel 3-Cent pieces were coined. ![]() The first year of production saw the highest mintage for the series, by far. Diameter-wise the Nickel 3-Cent piece was significantly larger than the 3-Cent Silver coin, roughly the same diameter as the small cent, but not as thick. ![]() On the reverse, three column-like roman numerals, “III” were centered boldly within a graceful wreath. The Nickel 3-Cent piece featured a left-facing Liberty bust with “Liberty” headband. coin design than its 3-Cent Silver counterpart. This new 3-cent coin featured a much less abstract U.S. Longacre, the same fellow who designed the 3-Cent Silver coin. The Nickel 3-Cent piece was designed by James B. nickel coin (we already had the copper-nickel one-cent coins of 1856-64). So since the silver 3-cent coin wasn’t circulating, nickel interests in the United States saw this as an opportunity to push for another U.S. A 3-cent coin was clearly still needed, one, to drive out the proliferation of 3-cent paper notes, and also as a coin to be used to purchase postage just recently reduced from five cents to three cents. The first reason was the Civil War: a nervous populace was hoarding silver coins, and that included even the tiny silver 3-cent coin. There was a couple of reasons for the creation of a second type of 3-cent coin in 1865. After 1873, the Nickel 3-Cent piece was our nation’s only 3-cent coin, but its day’s too, were numbered. But it by circulating side by side with the 3-Cent Silver coin starting in 1865, and being struck in much larger numbers, the Nickel 3-Cent piece gradually phased out the 3-Cent Silver coin. But the appearance of the Nickel 3-Cent piece in 1865 didn’t cut short the life span of the 3-Cent Silver coin. The Nickel 3-Cent piece was our nation’s second type of 3-cent coin. The Three Cents (Nickel) piece was immediately popular, due to its large circulation in 1865 and its usefulness in replacing fractional currency.
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