Yeah, I hardly ever get them in change anymore! The $3 bill is much more popular!
🥳
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@291fifth said:
My local stagecoach still takes them.
So does my stupid Post Office. Literally
m
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
It’s a scarce gold type coin, but the “action” is not in the area when “John Q. Sixpack” is trying to complete a “dream gold type set.” The “mid area” collector seems to be disappearing. Now it’s “5-figure + trophy coins.”
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
I think they're a great series to collect and will always be in demand. Really tough to do if you insist on perfectly original coins, but it can be done.
Andy Lustig
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
@291fifth said:
My local stagecoach still takes them.
So does my stupid Post Office. Literally
m
The post office is still stocking 3 cent stamps? Wasn't that one of the justifications for minting them in the first place or am I confusing with the 3 cent piece?
@MrEureka said:
I think they're a great series to collect and will always be in demand. Really tough to do if you insist on perfectly original coins, but it can be done.
Only one person can have a complete set of G$3 since the 1870-S is unique. Of course all the others can be bought with some patience and a big bank roll.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
You and everyone else. You're one funny guy. LO.L.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Yes. When I was in high school and college, the Three Dollar Gold Piece and the Type II Gold Dollar were THE coins to get for the 12 piece type set. Back then a nice AU cost about $300 which was quite a bit of money in the late 1960s. Mint State coins were in the $350 to $400 range. Very few people were collecting them as a set, however, so the better date Philadelphia Mint were not that much more expensive.
The post office is still stocking 3 cent stamps? Wasn't that one of the justifications for minting them in the first place or am I confusing with the 3 cent piece?
According to Roget Burdette, the real reason for the $3 gold coin was that it facilitated making change within the gold coin series. I suppose that a $3 coin might have seemed to have been of more use than a $2.50 coin, but the idea never caught on.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
I remember as a young collector back in the 1960's when I bought my first gold coin (a nice BU 1900-S $20 for $50 in May of 1966) thinking that I would like to complete a 12-piece type set someday, but within a few years I was paying my own way through college and never had any money to spare.
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
@CaptHenway said:
I remember as a young collector back in the 1960's when I bought my first gold coin (a nice BU 1900-S $20 for $50 in May of 1966) thinking that I would like to complete a 12-piece type set someday, but within a few years I was paying my own way through college and never had any money to spare.
And then.... suddenly.... on that box of Cheerios.....
It's a nice looking coin in high grade. Despite what he thought of the most of the U.S. coin design, Teddy Roosevelt cited the Type III Gold Dollar as one of his favorites. The Three Dollar Gold Piece is just a large Type III Gold Dollar.
And "the little sister. "
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
@CaptHenway said:
I remember as a young collector back in the 1960's when I bought my first gold coin (a nice BU 1900-S $20 for $50 in May of 1966) thinking that I would like to complete a 12-piece type set someday, but within a few years I was paying my own way through college and never had any money to spare.
I think the value of an education out weighed it. jmo ( no harm intended )
@291fifth said:
My local stagecoach still takes them.
So does my stupid Post Office. Literally
m
The post office is still stocking 3 cent stamps? Wasn't that one of the justifications for minting them in the first place or am I confusing with the 3 cent piece?
No. Just the assertion that if I mailed my $3.00 piece from my post office it’s 50/50 that somebody there would take it. Just a play on words if you re read my post
m
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
A $3 type coin was one of my targets at central states and I learned first hand how hard it is to find one that has it all going for it (for the grade) at a reasonable price (relative to the fact that it was all there wasn’t trying find great stuff on sale). Think I looked at a couple dozen in the HA lot viewing and narrowed it down to a couple I hoped would be in budget but weren’t close when it was all said and done. Seemed to be the theme of my week there.
@PhilLynott said:
A $3 type coin was one of my targets at central states and I learned first hand how hard it is to find one that has it all going for it (for the grade) at a reasonable price (relative to the fact that it was all there wasn’t trying find great stuff on sale). Think I looked at a couple dozen in the HA lot viewing and narrowed it down to a couple I hoped would be in budget but weren’t close when it was all said and done. Seemed to be the theme of my week there.
I have been there and know how you feel.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
For a contrarian view, the limited number who collect the $3 gold piece beyond just for a type set have enabled my collection to rank high as a Registry Set.
Currently there are 56 $3 Gold Major Sets and in my category of 17 I am ranked #10. At one point, to the best of my recollection, I had been in the top three or four. I could probably move back up at least some by getting all of my $3 gold pieces into PCGS holders.
My most unusual $3 is not actually gold. It is a $3 pattern in copper designated as 1865 Proof 63 BN from the Pittman Collection. (Judd 441).
My top pop $3 gold is a MS 64 1864 as one of 6 64s with only 5 higher. The total mintage was 2,630. If I recall correctly I acquired it from Doug Winter who was ironically mentioned in Zoins's second post above as now having none. I believe Doug felt it was under graded at the time so I guess I should eventually have PCGS take another look at it or at least have it examined by JA for a sticker. (There are no PCGS 64+ and I see the most recent auction result (8/16 SB) for a 65 was north of $44,000.)
@Elmhurst said:
I have a couple and wouldn't mind having more. Mr. Winter's website says that these are showing some new interest now, but I don't know beyond that.
Funny I was just about to quote Doug.
“As a rare date gold specialist, I am aware that the Three Dollar series is finally showing signs of life after years of stagnation.”
Walker Proof Digital Album Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
This is a favorite coin that we currently have in our inventory. Not shilling to sell it, just sayin' I love the design, I love all odd denominations, and I think it's a super-looking example. Your mileage may differ.
EDIT: And oh yeah, it's a (minor) first-year subtype.
They never really had a "day." It was more like a late breakfast, then rain, and finally a sunset in a necklace.
Three dollar gold coins were never a useful denomination. They were part of a pie-in-the-sky plan to remove $1, $2 and $3 banknotes from circulation. The goal was to give people hard money in place of paper of uncertain value and longevity.
Like $1 gold, the $3 found primary use in jewelry, especially in Britain.
Oh, they had their day alright....and what a day they had. And apparently they prospered on hype...and died by the pops.
Think back to fall of 2009 when MS65's were bringing $32,000 on the sheets...with people tripping over themselves to get them. Look at them today...in the toilet for the past 5+ years. The population reports have shown that even choice to gem common date $3's aren't nearly as rare as they were thought to be. You can apply that thought to the entire gold type coin market....and even the silver type coin markets.
$3 date sets will survive because of so many better dates. But type coins have been nailed to the wall.
The $3 Gold market received a death-blow back in the summer of 2016 when the "The Twelve Oaks Collection" was auctioned and flooded the market with thousands of common date $3's.
I know when I bought mine last year (for type), I saw how much less these coins were than from a few years back. I ended up with an 1856 in PCGS AU-58 and CAC, plus a nice 1854 in PCGS AU-55 for around $900.
I used to own these, Longacre's original wax models for the $3 gold piece. Sculpted in red wax on large bronze mint medal planchets, approx. 4-1/2 inches each as I recall. You can see my article on them in the October, 1985 The Numismatist. TD
Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
Comments
Yeah, I hardly ever get them in change anymore! The $3 bill is much more popular!
🥳
And authentic, too.
There is demand for them from type collectors.
My local stagecoach still takes them.
So does my stupid Post Office. Literally
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
Did they ever have a "day"?
I'll take them at spot.
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Wooooha! Did someone just say it's officially "TACO™" Tuesday????
It’s a scarce gold type coin, but the “action” is not in the area when “John Q. Sixpack” is trying to complete a “dream gold type set.” The “mid area” collector seems to be disappearing. Now it’s “5-figure + trophy coins.”
POTD!
Got a good laugh out of this. Thanks!
Interesting to note that Legend has a single $3 gold while Doug Winter as none.
Maybe it's time to back up the truck while everyone else is chasing other things.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
I was happy to get my type example, and they are are not exactly cheap, >$1000 for common date AU’s for example.
This thread needs pics.
Here's the Ed Trompeter specimen:
I'd blow a trompet too if mine looked like that.
I think they're a great series to collect and will always be in demand. Really tough to do if you insist on perfectly original coins, but it can be done.
Doggedly collecting coins of the Central American Republic.
Visit the Society of US Pattern Collectors at USPatterns.com.
End Systemic Elitism - It Takes All of Us
ANA LM, LSCC, EAC, FUN
Looks like this is Ex. Guttag Bros; Garrett; Buddy Ebsen.
Here it is with the pedigree attached:
The post office is still stocking 3 cent stamps? Wasn't that one of the justifications for minting them in the first place or am I confusing with the 3 cent piece?
Only one person can have a complete set of G$3 since the 1870-S is unique. Of course all the others can be bought with some patience and a big bank roll.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Yes. I have added one to my collection recently.
You and everyone else. You're one funny guy. LO.L.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
They are really nice gold coins... but I prefer the large gold coins... just something about the heft of them in hand...Cheers, RickO
Yes. When I was in high school and college, the Three Dollar Gold Piece and the Type II Gold Dollar were THE coins to get for the 12 piece type set. Back then a nice AU cost about $300 which was quite a bit of money in the late 1960s. Mint State coins were in the $350 to $400 range. Very few people were collecting them as a set, however, so the better date Philadelphia Mint were not that much more expensive.
According to Roget Burdette, the real reason for the $3 gold coin was that it facilitated making change within the gold coin series. I suppose that a $3 coin might have seemed to have been of more use than a $2.50 coin, but the idea never caught on.
I agree with RickO. I love the obverse design but prefer larger coins. $10’s are the perfect size in my opinion.
I remember as a young collector back in the 1960's when I bought my first gold coin (a nice BU 1900-S $20 for $50 in May of 1966) thinking that I would like to complete a 12-piece type set someday, but within a few years I was paying my own way through college and never had any money to spare.
And then.... suddenly.... on that box of Cheerios.....
It's a nice looking coin in high grade. Despite what he thought of the most of the U.S. coin design, Teddy Roosevelt cited the Type III Gold Dollar as one of his favorites. The Three Dollar Gold Piece is just a large Type III Gold Dollar.
And "the little sister. "
Where did they find that goofy headdress for both of them?
I think the value of an education out weighed it. jmo ( no harm intended )
No. Just the assertion that if I mailed my $3.00 piece from my post office it’s 50/50 that somebody there would take it. Just a play on words if you re read my post
m
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
A $3 type coin was one of my targets at central states and I learned first hand how hard it is to find one that has it all going for it (for the grade) at a reasonable price (relative to the fact that it was all there wasn’t trying find great stuff on sale). Think I looked at a couple dozen in the HA lot viewing and narrowed it down to a couple I hoped would be in budget but weren’t close when it was all said and done. Seemed to be the theme of my week there.
I have been there and know how you feel.
Fine with me and not all that spendy.
For a contrarian view, the limited number who collect the $3 gold piece beyond just for a type set have enabled my collection to rank high as a Registry Set.
Currently there are 56 $3 Gold Major Sets and in my category of 17 I am ranked #10. At one point, to the best of my recollection, I had been in the top three or four. I could probably move back up at least some by getting all of my $3 gold pieces into PCGS holders.
My most unusual $3 is not actually gold. It is a $3 pattern in copper designated as 1865 Proof 63 BN from the Pittman Collection. (Judd 441).
My top pop $3 gold is a MS 64 1864 as one of 6 64s with only 5 higher. The total mintage was 2,630. If I recall correctly I acquired it from Doug Winter who was ironically mentioned in Zoins's second post above as now having none. I believe Doug felt it was under graded at the time so I guess I should eventually have PCGS take another look at it or at least have it examined by JA for a sticker. (There are no PCGS 64+ and I see the most recent auction result (8/16 SB) for a 65 was north of $44,000.)
I love mine!


My YouTube Channel
I have a couple and wouldn't mind having more. Mr. Winter's website says that these are showing some new interest now, but I don't know beyond that.
Funny I was just about to quote Doug.
“As a rare date gold specialist, I am aware that the Three Dollar series is finally showing signs of life after years of stagnation.”
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
This is a favorite coin that we currently have in our inventory. Not shilling to sell it, just sayin' I love the design, I love all odd denominations, and I think it's a super-looking example. Your mileage may differ.
EDIT: And oh yeah, it's a (minor) first-year subtype.
Kind regards,
George
They never really had a "day." It was more like a late breakfast, then rain, and finally a sunset in a necklace.
Three dollar gold coins were never a useful denomination. They were part of a pie-in-the-sky plan to remove $1, $2 and $3 banknotes from circulation. The goal was to give people hard money in place of paper of uncertain value and longevity.
Like $1 gold, the $3 found primary use in jewelry, especially in Britain.
Oh, they had their day alright....and what a day they had. And apparently they prospered on hype...and died by the pops.
Think back to fall of 2009 when MS65's were bringing $32,000 on the sheets...with people tripping over themselves to get them. Look at them today...in the toilet for the past 5+ years. The population reports have shown that even choice to gem common date $3's aren't nearly as rare as they were thought to be. You can apply that thought to the entire gold type coin market....and even the silver type coin markets.
$3 date sets will survive because of so many better dates. But type coins have been nailed to the wall.
They found a number of circulated
1856 S $3 gold pieces at the SSCA wreck site in 2014.
Those coins did not call my name.
I know they also recovered an 1857 S $3 in MS 65 and a beautiful
example which graded PCGS MS 67
This must have carried a steep price
tag. I don’t know if it found a home
The $3 Gold market received a death-blow back in the summer of 2016 when the "The Twelve Oaks Collection" was auctioned and flooded the market with thousands of common date $3's.
This is mine, apologies for the iPhone pics:
Heck - I don't own 1. But I own 2 one dollar gold pieces -does that almost count ???. MS 62


WS
That "3" looks suspiciously like a "1"...
Smitten with DBLCs.
I know when I bought mine last year (for type), I saw how much less these coins were than from a few years back. I ended up with an 1856 in PCGS AU-58 and CAC, plus a nice 1854 in PCGS AU-55 for around $900.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
My registry sets
I used to own these, Longacre's original wax models for the $3 gold piece. Sculpted in red wax on large bronze mint medal planchets, approx. 4-1/2 inches each as I recall. You can see my article on them in the October, 1985 The Numismatist. TD
Never cared for the feathered tiara design as it kinda looks like chicken drumsticks.
Should we designate a day of the year as $3 Coin Day?
March 3rd.