1856 3CS MS(PCGS#3672)

June 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

1401

Grade

MS66

Price

4,800

Lot Description

A superior example that is sure to sell for a strong bid. Both sides are untoned apart from the lightest champagne-gold iridescence. Frosty luster is smooth and lively, and the strike is sharp for this challenging design type. Although the silver three-cent pieces produced from 1851 to 1853 were composed of 75% silver and 25% copper, a supplement to the Act of February 21, 1853 that Congress passed on March 3 brought the composition in line with other subsidiary silver coins then in use. Beginning in 1854, silver three-cent pieces would be struck in a standard silver alloy of 90% silver, 10% copper through the series' end in 1873. To distinguish pieces struck in this revised composition, the Mint raised the border of the star and added two extra lines to further outline this device. The Type II silver three-cent piece, proved short lived and was replaced with the Type III design in 1859, which dropped one of the two extra outlines around the star. The Type II is the scarcest and most conditionally challenging of the silver three-cent designs. Few examples are as nicely preserved and visually appealing as this Gem; NGC reports none finer than MS-66 in its Census. Among the finest obtainable for the issue and type, this lovely trime is sure to appeal to numerous bidders.<p>