1859 3CS Three Cent Silver PCGS PF64- Trader Bea Label

Coin Highlights

• Issuer: United States of America

• Date: 1859

• Mint: Philadelphia (no mintmark)

• Denomination: Three Cents (3¢)

• Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper

• Weight: 0.75 g

• Diameter: 14 mm

• Grade: PCGS Proof 64 – near-Gem quality

• Special Holder: Trader Bea Label presentation

• Obverse Design: Six-pointed star with the Union shield at center, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the date.

• Reverse Design: Roman numeral “III” within a C-shaped wreath, encircled by 13 stars.

• Edge: Plain

Historical Significance

• Introduced in 1851, the Three Cent Silver (also called “trime”) was created to make postage stamp purchases easier when stamps cost 3¢.

• By the late 1850s, silver content had been slightly reduced (90% silver, down from 75%) to discourage hoarding and melting.

• The 1859 proof issue represents a low-mintage collector strike during a transitional decade leading up to the Civil War.

Mintage & Rarity

• Mintage: Only 800 proof coins were struck in 1859.

• Survivors are scarce, particularly in well-preserved grades.

• PR64 examples offer a balance of sharp detail and light handling marks, making them highly collectible.