Rare Coins - 2, 3 & 20 Cents

The twenty cent coin was a short-lived coin in U.S. coinage. It was minted in limited quantities from 1875 through 1878. The largest mintage was 1,155,000 in the 1875 (San Francisco).
 

Only three mints produced the 20-cent piece as follows:

  • Philadelphia Mint from 1875 thru 1878
    San Francisco Mint in 1875 only
    Carson City Mint in 1875 and 1876

Most of the original 1876 Carson City mintage of 10,000 pieces were melted at the mint without ever being released. It's intriguing to note that a total of 1,358,890 United States 20-cent pieces have ever been minted! Today the U.S. Mint might produce that number of coins in a matter of hours.

This is in the top echelon of desirable collectibles, especially considering the relative cost and availability. Of that mintage, thousands were never to make it out of the mint. The total combined mintage of 1877 and 1878 proofs is 950 while the 1875 and 1876 proof mintages are recorded as 2,790 and 1,260 respectively.

A complete set of U.S. 20-cent pieces consists of only 9 coins. All can be obtained, with the sole exception of the 1876-CC, for under $3,000. Uncirculated examples of the San Francisco coin are available for under $500.

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1865 TWO CENT PIECE
1865 TWO CENT PIECE
$11.69
Sale ends in: 19h 33m
SCARCE 1866 ~ 3 CENT ~ HIGH GRADE ~ ERROR US COINS LOTS
SCARCE 1866 ~ 3 CENT ~ HIGH GRADE ~ ERROR US COINS LOTS
$20.50 (12 Bids)
Sale ends in: 20h 27m
1868 -2 Cent Piece.  AG. Tougher date.
1868 -2 Cent Piece. AG. Tougher date.
$12.99
Sale ends in: 1d 12h 49m
NICE 1881 USA 3 CENTS
NICE 1881 USA 3 CENTS
$1.55 (1 Bids)
Sale ends in: 1d 13h 7m
1865 -2 Cent Piece.  G VG.
1865 -2 Cent Piece. G VG.
$19.99
Sale ends in: 1d 14h 8m
1852 3CS NGC UNC Details Improperly Cleaned
1852 3CS NGC UNC Details Improperly Cleaned
$110.00
Sale ends in: 1d 14h 57m
1865 THREE CENT PIECE
1865 THREE CENT PIECE
$18.69
Sale ends in: 1d 15h 33m
US Three Cent,  Quarter,  Dime 19th Century Six Coin Lot
US Three Cent, Quarter, Dime 19th Century Six Coin Lot
$22.72 (2 Bids)
Sale ends in: 1d 19h 18m
2 Obsolete 3c Type, 1867 3c Nickel XF, 1851 3c Silver VF
2 Obsolete 3c Type, 1867 3c Nickel XF, 1851 3c Silver VF
$75.00
$85.00
Sale ends in: 1d 19h 48m
1864 TWO CENT PIECE
1864 TWO CENT PIECE
$14.69
Sale ends in: 1d 20h 30m
1852 Three Cent Silver Nice Very Good
1852 Three Cent Silver Nice Very Good
$45.00
Sale ends in: 2d 12h 27m
THREE CENT NICKELS NICE COINS
THREE CENT NICKELS NICE COINS
$5.00 (4 Bids)
Sale ends in: 3d 18h 33m
1871 Two Cent Piece   Semi. Key
1871 Two Cent Piece Semi. Key
$25.00
Sale ends in: 3d 19h 37m
WHITMAN 20th Century Type Coins Folder Album #9046
WHITMAN 20th Century Type Coins Folder Album #9046
$6.00
Sale ends in: 4d 8h 1m
3 ANTIQUE COPPER NAZI COINS ww2 GERMAN ss SWASTIKA 67
3 ANTIQUE COPPER NAZI COINS ww2 GERMAN ss SWASTIKA 67
$1.75 (2 Bids)
Sale ends in: 5d 1h 33m
1875-S Twenty Cent
1875-S Twenty Cent
$80.00
Sale ends in: 5d 7h 8m
1864 Two Cent Piece MS
1864 Two Cent Piece MS
$130.00
Sale ends in: 5d 17h 25m
1865 Two Cent Piece MS
1865 Two Cent Piece MS
$130.00
Sale ends in: 5d 17h 26m
Dansco Supreme Album for 3 Cent Silver & 20 Cent
Dansco Supreme Album for 3 Cent Silver & 20 Cent
$21.95
Sale ends in: 5d 21h 9m
1952 Helveta 1 Rappen Coin  - 8046
1952 Helveta 1 Rappen Coin - 8046
$3.00
Sale ends in: 5d 22h 10m
Yahoo! Personals Canada
The three cent coin has an unusual history. It was proposed in 1851 both as a result of the decrease in postage rates from five cents to three and to answer the need for a small-denomination, easy-to-handle coin. The three cent silver featured a shield on a six sided star on the obverse and the Roman numeral III on the reverse. The coin was composed of 75% silver and 25% copper to ensure that the coin would be considered real currency yet not worth melting down for the silver. The coins were physically the lightest weight coins ever minted by the United States, weighing only 4/5 of a gram and with a diameter smaller than a modern dime and only slightly greater than the smallest gold dollars. The silver coins were known as "fishscales". The term "trimes" is often used today for these coins but that was first used by the director of the United States Mint (James Ross Snowden) at the time of their production.

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