The US Three-Cent coin actually had a longer life
than its Two-Cent cousin, close to forty years (1851-1889). Its original purpose was to
provide an intermediate denomination between the Cent and Half Dime, making
it easier to change some of the odd foreign coins that were legal tender in
America at that time. At the same time, postal rates became three
cents, and because pennies were still of the old "Large Cent" type, another
use for the relatively small Three Cents coin propelled this odd
denomination into almost forty years of production.
The coin was originally made of low-grade silver and was the first US coin
NOT to feature Lady Liberty. Silver content was later improved to 90% and
when silver was replaced by nickel beginning in 1865, she then appeared on
the coin.
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| Original Three
Cents Piece (Silver) |
Reverse (back) | Redesigned Three Cents Piece (Copper-Nickel) |
Reverse (back) |
Recommended Resources
| Websites | |
| CoinFacts.com | Website |
| Federal Reserve Bank coin information | Website |
| Books and Other Media | ||||
| The "Red Book" of United States Coins |
Coins Magazine (12 issues) |
The
Coin Dealer Weekly Newsletter |
CoinWorld Magazine (52 issues) |
Coin
Prices (6 issues) |
| Other Sites of Potential Interest (content selected automatically) |
Test Your Knowledge
This test covers the information in this article. Read each question and decide in your head what the answer is. Click the empty cell in the last column to see the correct answer.
|
US Three-Cent Piece |
In what year was the US Three-Cent coin introduced? | 1851 |
| For how many years was it minted? | Almost 40 (38 to be more precise) | |
| What change at the US Postal Service fueled interest and use of the Three-Cent piece? | Postage for a letter became three cents |
Click Here to go to the "Test Your Knowledge" page covering all articles included in this week's theme on DailyUSHistory.com.
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