1851 to 1873 Silver Three-Cent Pieces

The three cent coin has an unusual history. It was proposed in 1851 both as a result of the decrease in postage rates from five cents to three and to answer the need for a small denomination, easy to handle coin.

The three cent silver featured a shield on a six sided star on the obverse and the Roman numeral 'III' on the reverse. The coin was made of 75% silver and 25% copper. The coins were physically the smallest coins ever minted by the United States.