United States 1865 3 cents KM-95

from the Stonecat Collection

a rare off center strike, from the Stonecat Collection

a counterstamped specimen, from the Stonecat Collection

The three cent nickel superseded the three cent silver of 1851-73. It was quite popular when introduced in 1865 as it replaced the inconvenient three cent fractional currency issued during the Civil War but mintages dropped steadily during the 1870's until it was terminated entirely in 1889.

Specification: 1.94 g, copper-nickel, 17.9 mm diameter, plain edge, designed by James Longacre.

Recorded mintage: 11,382,000 (by far the most common date).

Catalog reference: KM 95.

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:

• 1865 silver 3 cents
• 1865 20 dollars
• 1866 nickel 3 cents
• Coins and currency dated 1865
• return to USA Three Cents, Nickel (1865-1889)