1872 $3 MS(PCGS#7994)

Summer 2026 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

5189

Grade

AU58

Price

6,710

Lot Description

This is an inviting near-Mint State survivor of a scarce and conditionally challenged 19th century gold issue. Virtually complete luster remains and both sides are frosty over the design elements with prooflike reflectivity in the fields. Vivid deep olive and golden-orange colors are seen throughout, the striking detail is bold to sharp, and the eye appeal is strong. The 1872 three-dollar gold piece was produced in an era when gold coins were not seen in commerce in the East and Midwest, explaining the circulation strike mintage of just 2,000 pieces. While occasional examples were seen in circulation on the West Coast, by the 1870s the three-dollar gold piece had fallen out of favor in that region of the country. Most of the few hundred or so survivors of the circulation strike 1872 issue represent the coins that were retrieved from banks by numismatists such as Thomas L. Elder during the early 20th century. This is one of the nicer Choice AU examples that we have offered in recent years, and it is sure to see spirited bidding.