Saturday, December 31, 2005
Small Change
The US Mint also produced three-cent coins for four decades starting in 1851. Two versions overlapped in production: a very teeny one in silver:
If memory serves, this was the first US Mint issue not featuring the goddess of Liberty. Tough to get those personal details on a coin only 14mm in diameter.
A slightly bigger one (17.9mm) went into production in 1865 using the same copper-nickel alloy used in today's nickels. I have two dated 1865, and 1870. Here's a better looking specimen than either of mine:
This was the first US use of the 75% copper/25% nickel alloy now familiar to American small change. (Did you know that your nickel is three-quarter copper? As are the outer layers of your dimes and quarters.)
As with the two-cent piece, public demand for the coin was not high, and mintage figures trail off drasically after the initial runs. For some reason, the idea for a copper three-cent piece was floated in the early 1880's:
The idea never progressed beyond the pattern stage, but the Liberty design was adopted for the nickel in 1883.
If memory serves, this was the first US Mint issue not featuring the goddess of Liberty. Tough to get those personal details on a coin only 14mm in diameter.
A slightly bigger one (17.9mm) went into production in 1865 using the same copper-nickel alloy used in today's nickels. I have two dated 1865, and 1870. Here's a better looking specimen than either of mine:
This was the first US use of the 75% copper/25% nickel alloy now familiar to American small change. (Did you know that your nickel is three-quarter copper? As are the outer layers of your dimes and quarters.)
As with the two-cent piece, public demand for the coin was not high, and mintage figures trail off drasically after the initial runs. For some reason, the idea for a copper three-cent piece was floated in the early 1880's:
The idea never progressed beyond the pattern stage, but the Liberty design was adopted for the nickel in 1883.
