United States 1851-O 3 cents

from the San Dimas Collection

from the Stonecat Collection

The three cent silver coin was introduced in 1851 to fill a gap left by hoarding of silver half dimes, dimes and quarters. This issue from New Orleans is the only one with a mint mark and is thereby the more popular. The design was slightly modified in 1854 and again in 1859 but the denomination was issued in token amounts after 1862. It was finally terminated in 1873.

Specification: 0.80 g, 0.750 fine silver, 14 mm diameter.

Recorded mintage: 720,000.

Catalog reference: KM 75.

Source:

• Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
• Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.

Link to:

• 1851 3 cents
• 1851-C 5 dollars
• 1851 10 dollars
• 1852 3 cents
• Coins and currency dated 1851
• return to Silver Three Cents