1881 3CN MS66 Certification #84375604, PCGS #3749

CoinFacts Details

Owner's Comments

The three-cent nickel is a bit of an oddity and the series is somewhat unpopular with current collectors. While the reverse design is a bit uninspired, the obverse features one of the nicest depictions of Lady Liberty to grace our coinage. This example is stellar with sharp detail, deep luster, and clean surfaces.

Expert Comments

Ron Guth

The 1881 Three Cent Nickel has an extremely high mintage for an era when mintages of less than 10,000 coins were common. With over 1 million coins minted, the 1881 has the seventh highest mintage of the series. As a result, collectors will have no difficulty locating a nice example of this date at a reasonable price. The typical Mint State grade is MS-64, with a decreasing but fairly equal distribution of grades on either side. On the high end, the finest examples certified by PCGS (as of December 2011) are seven MS-67s.

PCGS #

3749

Designer

James Barton Longacre

Edge

Plain

Diameter

17.90 millimeters

Weight

1.94 grams

Mintage

1077000

Metal

75% Copper, 25% Nickel

Pop Higher

Pop Lower

1191

Region

The United States of America

Price Guide

PCGS Population

Auctions - PCGS Graded

Auctions - NGC Graded

Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades	Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.	Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.	Relative Rarity by Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.	Relative Rarity by Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	6000	R-3.8	17 / 23	17 / 23
All Grades	1500	R-4.8	21 / 23 TIE	21 / 23 TIE
60 or Better	400	R-6.2	22 / 23	22 / 23

Survival Estimate The Survival Estimate represents an average of one or more experts opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in three categories: 1) all grades, 2) 60 or better, and 3) 65 or better. These estimates are based on a variety of sources, including population reports, auction appearances, and personal knowledge. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services.
65 or Better	6000
All Grades	1500
60 or Better	400

Numismatic Rarity Numismatic Rarity converts the Survival Estimate for a particular coin into a number from 1 to 10 (with decimal increments) based on the PCGS Rarity Scale. The higher the number, the more rare the coin.
65 or Better	R-3.8
All Grades	R-4.8
60 or Better	R-6.2

Relative Rarity by Type Relative Rarity By Type ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Type. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	17 / 23
All Grades	21 / 23 TIE
60 or Better	22 / 23

Relative Rarity by Series Relative Rarity By Series ranks the rarity of this coin with all other coins of this Series. Lower numbers indicate rarer coins.
65 or Better	17 / 23
All Grades	21 / 23 TIE
60 or Better	22 / 23

Condition Census Learn More

Pos	Grade	Thumbnail	Pedigree and History
1	MS67 PCGS grade
1	MS67 PCGS grade
1	MS67 PCGS grade
1	MS67 PCGS grade
1	MS67 PCGS grade

#1 MS67 PCGS grade