A question on 3 cent silvers

mikeyg

I am thinking about collecting a date run of silver three cent pieces.. but I am told that they are small coins.By the pictures in the ads they dont look small but what do I know.So are they the size of a dime?? bigger?? smaller??

Bayard1908

Significantly smaller

stinkinlincoln

Really small.

illini420

around 1/3 the size of a dime... very tiny and difficult to photograph well

ChrisRx

Makes you feel as though its the smallest coin in one of those mixed foreign bags.

Don't buy raw as you will probably lose it

TomB

Buy a Red Book and read it. It will answer many questions such as this in one source.

jessecarlk

The only coin with a smaller diameter than the 3 cent silver are type 1 gold dollars, and the trime still weighs less than them.

09sVDB

Also, they are very prone to die clash.

LanLord

Look at the fingernail on your pinky finger. Unless you have bizarrely huge hands, the 3 cent silver is going to be about the same size or a bit smaller than that!

speety

Nevermind.... the pic is messed up

As others have said... they are quite small indeed!

mikeyg

Holy pigmys batman I want to thank everyone for their imput.I dont think that the 3 cent silver was what I thought it was size wise.So hmmmm maybe peace dollars will be my coin of choice.I know how big they are.thanks again to all.Happy collecting

astrostu

Silver trimes are 14 mm in diameter (0.55"), weigh 0.75-0.80 grams (depending on type), and are very very thin.

mikeyg

thanks astro about half an inch got it.I would lose it

lordmarcovan

They weren't called "fish scales" for nothing. They were the smallest silver coin ever struck by the US Mint, and second smallest of all US coins, behind the gold dollar.

I don't know how big your hand is by comparison, but a 3cS is about the size of one of my fingernails.

rld14

They are neat coins, and quite cheap for their relative scarcity (The later business strikes can be hellishly tough to find). I'd check scarsdalecoin.com owned by a fellow board member and probably the biggest dealer of them extant.

Trime

MikeyG,
3C silvers are wonderful coins to collect. They are in general low mintage yet affordable but a few of the type 3 MS and type 2 proofs can be challenging.
Lots of patterns too.