Three Cents

Designer: James B. Longacre. Diameter: 17.9mm. Composition: 75% copper, 25% nickel. Weight: 1.94 grams. Edge: Plain.
Minted: 1865-1889. Total Circulation Minted: 31,332,527. Total Proofs Minted: 75,000 estimated.
Obverse: Liberty Head. Reverse: Roman Numeral III inside laurel wreath.


The first year the nickel three cent was minted - 1865 - over eleven million were minted. However, the popularity of the three-cent never took off since many people would use Indian Head cents and Two-Cent pieces. Furthermore, the Shield Nickel was produced a year after the nickel three-cent piece first came to be! In 1866, only a little less then five million were produced (4,801,000). The mintage slowly declined, and remained low throughout the rest of the lifespan of the series. In 1877 and 1878 only proofs were struck. For some reason, the mint felt that more then a million pieces had to be struck in 1881, the only year near the end of the coins life that had a mintage exceeding a million. The nickel three cent was only minted in Philadelphia, and there are no design changes through the series except for a larger date on the 1889 strikes.
...