1872 Silver Three Cent Piece
Base
About This Coin
The 1872 Silver Three Cent Piece is a United States cent from the Silver Three Cent Pieces 1851-1873 series — a late issue, 22nd of 23 years in the series. In 1872, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 1,950. This represents the second-lowest annual mintage in the series, 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. Struck one year before the 1873 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $861 to $4.9K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $58K in MS68 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Barton Longacre.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
