Three Cents Silver Price Guide
The Indian Princess Three-Dollar Gold Piece was the shortest-lived gold coin denomination circulating for only 35 years from 1854-1889. After the California Gold Rush, Congress authorized three new denominations; the gold dollar, three-dollar gold piece, and a $20 Double Eagle. Designed by U.S. Mint’s Chief Sculptor-Engraver, James Barton Longacre, the Indian Princess dollar and $3 Indian Princess gold piece was a completely different design change from the Liberty gold series. Longacre’s $3 Indian Princess stands apart from any other coins produced by the U.S. Mint as the only $3 coin ever issued and beginning of the Indian design. Longacre wanted to make his design emblematic of the frontier and the American spirit. The obverse shows a Indian Princess wearing a pom-pom feathered headdress with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounding the edge. The reverse displays the denomination and date enclosed within a “Fruits of the Land” wreath. The denomination was to help facilitate the purchase of postage stamps in packs of 100 at 3 cents apiece, but the new design was rejected by the public. Very small mintages of the coin were produced during its short lifespan, making the $3 Indian Princess low mintage very popular with collectors today.
Three Cents – Silver | FMV MS61 |
FMV MS62 |
FMV MS63 |
FMV MS64 |
FMV MS65 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variety 1 | |||||
1851 | $246 | $270 | $350 | $500 | $660 |
1851 O | $630 | $780 | $1,190 | $1,810 | $2,530 |
1852 | $246 | $300 | $350 | $475 | $660 |
1853 | $228 | $240 | $300 | $475 | $810 |
Type Var. 1 | $228 | $240 | $300 | $475 | $660 |
Variety 2 | |||||
1854 | $480 | $510 | $770 | $1,130 | $2,250 |
1855 | $720 | $1,000 | $1,590 | $2,530 | $7,470 |
1856 | $360 | $450 | $650 | $1,110 | $2,340 |
1857 | $408 | $510 | $840 | $1,590 | $3,220 |
1858 | $360 | $480 | $680 | $970 | $1,750 |
Type Var. 2 | $360 | $450 | $650 | $970 | $1,750 |
Variety 3 | |||||
1859 | $270 | $342 | $419 | $575 | $1,130 |
1860 | $240 | $288 | $400 | $600 | $1,720 |
1861 | $270 | $342 | $475 | $690 | $910 |
1862 | $270 | $360 | $450 | $550 | $1,050 |
1862/1 | $330 | $420 | $463 | $690 | $1,210 |
1863 | ![]() |
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1864 | ![]() |
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1865 | ![]() |
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1866 | $1,230 | $1,380 | $1,690 | $2,780 | $3,280 |
1867 | $1,500 | $1,650 | $2,810 | $4,090 | $10,950 |
1868 | $3,270 | $3,810 | $4,440 | $6,030 | $16,580 |
1869 | $1,590 | $1,710 | $1,940 | $3,530 | $6,270 |
1869/8 | — | — | — | — | — |
1870 | $1,320 | $1,440 | $1,720 | $2,530 | $5,280 |
1871 | $1,100 | $1,120 | $1,310 | $1,690 | $2,340 |
Three Cents – Silver | FMV MS61 |
FMV MS62 |
FMV MS63 |
FMV MS64 |
FMV MS65 |
1872 | $2,790 | $3,000 | $3,720 | $4,690 | $9,690 |
Type Var. 3 | $240 | $288 | $400 | $550 | $910 |