SILVER THREE-CENT PIECE 1859-1873 Two Outlines to Star

This is the last of the Three Cent Pieces. Production dropped off substantially as the Mint tried to give it a quiet but not-to-be-forgotten send-off. Because it was nearly impossible to strike the small coin and show the three-outlines to the star, the three outlines were dropped. The two outline version was brought back in an effort to simply get it right. Prior issues met with great criticism for many reasons. Size and lack of detail were among them.

As though in an effort to show the viability of the design and perhaps to salvage the ego of the designer, 10,840 proof coins were produced. At last, the problem of weak striking was solved, and from this point forward specimens were much more sharply struck than their predecessors were. Examples were produced in large quantities for circulation from 1859 through 1862, after which time the hoarding of silver pieces during the Civil War made additional coinage redundant. After the war ended, in 1865, quantities produced remained small. Although several thousand business strikes are listed for each of various years from 1865 onward, today specimens encountered of these particular years are apt to be Proofs. Uncirculated examples of coins dated from 1866 through 1872 are extreme rarities. Most "Uncirculated" pieces seen by the writer have been Proofs. The last year, 1873, saw mintage only of Proofs, to the extent of an estimated 600 pieces.

Uncirculated pieces occur with some frequency, although truly superb examples are elusive. When they do occur they are apt to be dated 1861 or 1862. Among higher grade pieces, most often seen are Proofs.

The collector desiring an example for a type set will have no difficulty acquiring a specimen dated in the 1859 to 1862 range in grades from Fine through Extremely Fine or AU.