View All 1851 Silver Three Cent Piece

1851 Silver Three Cent Piece

Strike Type
1851 Silver Three Cent Piece

Coin Details

Year
1851
Denomination
Three Cent
Mint Mark
P
Strike Type
Regular Strike
Series
Silver Three Cent Pieces 1851-1873
Designer
James Barton Longacre
Mintage
5,447,400
Composition
75% Silver, 25% Copper
Weight
0.8g
Diameter
14.3mm
Edge
Plain

Value Estimates

$54 - $408

Values as of May 2026 — estimates reflect typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.

Auction Record

$11,500 MS67 07-30-2008 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1851 Silver Three Cent Piece is a cent produced at the Philadelphia Mint as part of the Silver Three Cent Pieces 1851-1873 series. The U.S. Mint produced 5.4 million examples, making this the higher-mintage of the two mint variants, representing 88% of production. 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. First year of the Silver Three-Cent Piece, introduced to facilitate purchasing the newly reduced three-cent postage stamps. The 1851-O is the only branch mint issue in the entire series. Struck at the original U.S. Mint facility, in continuous operation since 1792. Estimated market value ranges from $54 to $408 depending on grade and condition. Struck in 75% silver, 25% copper, weighing 0.8 grams, 14.3 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #3664.

External References

Error Varieties

No listings found

This category doesn't have any child listings yet.