Obsolete US coinage that circulated in commerce
Three cent nickel Authorized for coinage in 1865 with the first coins dated 1865 and produced thru 1889.

Obverse:

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Reverse:

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Coin Details

Origin/Country: United States
Design Description: THREE-CENT PIECES - COPPER-NICKEL
Item Description: 3CN 1870
Full Grade: NGC AU 58
Owner: Coinbuf

Owner Comments:

This issue was meant as a replacement for the three cent silver coins, made from a composition of 75% copper and 25% nickel these were larger and thicker than the 3 cent silver coins. I imagine that made them less likely to be lost, but the use of base metals was not overly popular with the public.

This example from 1870 was about middle of the road in terms of mintage numbers at 1,335,000 coins struck that year. All three cent nickels were struck at the Philly mint facility, no branch mint strikes.

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