1873 Three Dollar Patterns

About This Coin

Within the Trade Dollar Era Patterns (1871-1873), the 1873 Three Dollar Patterns represent William Barber's redesign of one of the most unusual denominations in American numismatics. The three-dollar gold piece, introduced in 1854 primarily to facilitate purchase of three-cent postage stamp sheets, had never achieved widespread circulation and was already regarded as an oddity. Barber's obverse features the seated Liberty facing left with olive branch and wheat sheaf, replacing the distinctive Indian Princess design by Longacre that had defined the denomination since inception. The reverse displays an eagle perched on a bale of goods with olive branch and three arrows, applying the Trade Dollar era's commercial vocabulary to a denomination more associated with postal convenience than international trade. A notable result of $6.3K in PR61BN grade at Heritage Auctions makes this among the more affordable entries in Barber's 1873 suite, partly because the denomination has a smaller collector following. For numismatic historians, the 1873 Three Dollar Patterns offer a glimpse of an alternative artistic direction the denomination might have taken had Barber's comprehensive redesign been adopted.