1855 3CS
1857 3CS

1856 3CS (Regular Strike)

Series: Star Three Cent Silvers 1851-1872

PCGS MS67+

PCGS MS67+

PCGS MS67

PCGS MS67

PCGS MS66+

PCGS MS66+

PCGS #:
3672
Designer:
James Barton Longacre
Edge:
Plain
Diameter:
14.30 millimeters
Weight:
0.75 grams
Mintage:
1,458,000
Mint:
Philadelphia
Metal:
90% Silver, 10% Copper
Auction Record:
$37,200 • MS67 • 07-23-2023 • Heritage Auctions
Major Varieties
  • 1856 3CS

Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades Survival
Estimate 		Numismatic
Rarity 		Relative Rarity
By Type 		Relative Rarity
By Series
All Grades 2,000 R-4.6 3 / 5 14 / 25 TIE
60 or Better 400 R-6.2 2 / 5 TIE 13 / 25 TIE
65 or Better 60 R-8.4 2 / 5 9 / 25 TIE
Survival Estimate
All Grades 2,000
60 or Better 400
65 or Better 60
Numismatic Rarity
All Grades R-4.6
60 or Better R-6.2
65 or Better R-8.4
Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type
All Grades 3 / 5
60 or Better 2 / 5 TIE
65 or Better 2 / 5
Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series
All Grades 14 / 25 TIE
60 or Better 13 / 25 TIE
65 or Better 9 / 25 TIE

Condition Census What Is This?

Pos Grade Image Pedigree and History
1 PCGS MS67+

As PCGS MS66 #5818214. Bowers and Merena, March 2005, Lot 203; “The Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part III,” Heritage Auctions, May 12, 2015, Lot 98101 – $23,500. As PCGS MS67 #25684957. Heritage Auctions, August 2015, Lot 3953 – $28,200. As PCGS MS67+ #40322946. “The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part I,” Heritage Auctions, September 17, 2020, Lot 10018 – $31,200.
2 PCGS MS67

Heritage Auctions, July 20, 2023, Lot 3020 – $37,200.
3 PCGS MS66+

As PCGS MS66 #25200248. Heritage Auctions, July 9, 2015, Lot 3032 – $15,275. As PCGS MS66+ #25650197. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, December 17, 2015, Lot 57 – $1,468.75. Upgraded by one-half point. As PCGS MS66+ #83246004. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 13, 2017, Lot 97 – $16,450.
3 PCGS MS66+

“The Bob R. Simpson Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2016, Lot 5279 – $9,400.
3 PCGS MS66+
6 PCGS MS66

Legend Rare Coin Auctions, January-February 2015, Lot 31 – Passed; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, February 25, 2021, Lot 37 – $9,400; Jon Lerner; "The Magic Collection - SCARSDALE COIN" (PCGS Set Registry).
6 PCGS MS66

Stack’s Bowers, August 15, 2018, Lot 1092 – $10,800; Stack’s Bowers, November 13, 2020, Lot 9088 – $7,200; "The Little Ones I Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). 
6 PCGS MS66

Stack's Bowers February 2015, Lot 1261 - Passed; Stack's Bowers, March 2015, Lot 6022 - Passed; Heritage Auctions, September 7, 2016, Lot 5402 - $14,100.
#1 PCGS MS67+

As PCGS MS66 #5818214. Bowers and Merena, March 2005, Lot 203; “The Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part III,” Heritage Auctions, May 12, 2015, Lot 98101 – $23,500. As PCGS MS67 #25684957. Heritage Auctions, August 2015, Lot 3953 – $28,200. As PCGS MS67+ #40322946. “The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part I,” Heritage Auctions, September 17, 2020, Lot 10018 – $31,200.
#2 PCGS MS67

Heritage Auctions, July 20, 2023, Lot 3020 – $37,200.
#3 PCGS MS66+

As PCGS MS66 #25200248. Heritage Auctions, July 9, 2015, Lot 3032 – $15,275. As PCGS MS66+ #25650197. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, December 17, 2015, Lot 57 – $1,468.75. Upgraded by one-half point. As PCGS MS66+ #83246004. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 13, 2017, Lot 97 – $16,450.
#3 PCGS MS66+

“The Bob R. Simpson Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2016, Lot 5279 – $9,400.
#3 PCGS MS66+
#6 PCGS MS66

Legend Rare Coin Auctions, January-February 2015, Lot 31 – Passed; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, February 25, 2021, Lot 37 – $9,400; Jon Lerner; "The Magic Collection - SCARSDALE COIN" (PCGS Set Registry).
#6 PCGS MS66

Stack’s Bowers, August 15, 2018, Lot 1092 – $10,800; Stack’s Bowers, November 13, 2020, Lot 9088 – $7,200; "The Little Ones I Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). 
#6 PCGS MS66

Stack's Bowers February 2015, Lot 1261 - Passed; Stack's Bowers, March 2015, Lot 6022 - Passed; Heritage Auctions, September 7, 2016, Lot 5402 - $14,100.
Charles Morgan:

The 1856 Three Cent Silver

The Three-Cent Silver piece debuted in 1851 (#3664), with annual mintages exceeding the one-million-coin mark seven times throughout the 1850s. For a country with a population of just over 23 million, the Philadelphia Mint produced enough silver "trimes" during the decade for every man, woman, and child in America to have one.

Following gargantuan mintages of 18,663,500 in 1852 (#3666) and 11,400,000 in 1853 (#3667), demand for new coinage tapered off sharply. The 1,458,000 pieces struck at Philadelphia in 1856 represented a dramatic rebound from the previous year's meager mintage of 139,000, likely driven by renewed commercial demand.

Production of the 1856 Three-Cent Silver (#3672) began on April 3 and concluded on October 29 across seven distinct mint deliveries:

1856 Three-Cent Silver Coins Production
April 3 140,000 struck April 29 160,000 struck
May 22 300,000 struck June 14 122,000 struck
August 9 310,000 struck September 30 340,000 struck
October 29 86,000 struck Total: 1,458,000 coins

This substantial output makes the 1856 one of the more available dates in the series today. Hundreds of Mint State examples survive, concentrated mostly between PCGS MS62 and PCGS MS64. While Gems are scarce rather than rare, pieces in PCGS MS66 become extremely elusive. At the PCGS MS67 level, the 1856 Three-Cent Silver is a supreme condition rarity.

Strike quality can be uneven, with coins often exhibiting weakness along the peripheral legends and stars. However, die clash marks are far less troublesome on this issue than on the 1855.

Vintage Market Snippet

In their advertisement for the February 1978 issue of The Numismatist, dealers Abner Kreisberg and Jerry Cohen offered an 1856 Three-Cent Silver piece described as “BU – A lovely example” for $475.

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