Ron Guth: Three Dollar Gold Pieces were issued every year from 1854 to 1889. This unusual denomination boasts an indirect tie-in with the stamp collecting community -- the price of a first class postage stamp was 3¢ during the years in which this denomination was minted. Thus, the $3.00 Gold Piece was perfect for purchasing a complete sheet of 100 stamps. Only a few dates in this series can be considered common (1854, 1874, 1878) and the majority of the dates in this series have mintages below 10,000 coins. Highlights of the series include the unique 1870-S Three-Dollar Gold Piece, the Proof-only 1875 and 1876, and the elusive 1854-D (the only Three-Dollar Gold Piece struck at the Dahlonega, Georgia Mint.