1866 Silver Three Cent Piece

About This Coin

The 1866 Silver Three Cent Piece is a United States cent from the Silver Three Cent Pieces 1851-1873 series — 16th of 23 years in the series. In 1866, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 22,725. This ranks 11th of 23 years by total mintage, below the series median of 139,050. The obverse features a six-pointed star enclosing a Union shield and the reverse displays a Roman numeral III (three) within a large letter C. Minted during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, as the nation healed from civil war and debated the role of silver and gold in the monetary system. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 0.75 grams, 14.3 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Produced 7 years before the celebrated 1873 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $640 to $2.5K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $31K in MS68+ grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Barton Longacre.