1866 $3 MS(PCGS#7987)

Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

경매인

Stack's Bowers

로트 번호

5178

등급

MS62

가격

9,150

로트 설명

A rare offering for advanced gold collectors, this is a solid Mint State example of an elusive three-dollar gold issue. Vivid rose-orange color to a lustrous, frosty to modestly semi-prooflike finish. Sharp strike detail and freedom from sizeable marks further enhance this coin's already considerable eye appeal. Circulation strike production of three-dollar gold pieces remained limited in 1866 as the nation entered the challenging Reconstruction era, the Philadelphia Mint delivering just 4,000 coins that year. Gold coins had still not returned to active commerce in the East and Midwest - they would not for several more years - and in any event the three-dollar denomination had already proved itself unpopular with contemporary Americans. The story of the 1866 is a familiar one in the three-dollar gold series, similar to that of such other issues from its era as the 1861, 1862, 1863 and 1864. Few circulation strikes were produced, even fewer survived, and most are in higher circulated grades of EF and AU. Most survivors owe their existence to early 20th century dealers such as Thomas L. Elder, who obtained them from bank reserves and thereby prevented their eventual destruction through melting. It is particularly telling for the elusiveness of the 1866 even in worn condition that Elder's description for lot 290 in his August 1917 sale states: "1866 About Uncirculated. Rare. I haven't offered one for a long while" (quoted in Bowers' 2005 reference on this series). The even rarer Mint State examples, of which fewer than 50 are believed extant, are seldom encountered, underscoring the fleeting nature of this offering for the astute gold enthusiast.