Hey Guys! This will be a blog on the three cent coin, also known as the trime. The three-cent coin was proposed in 1 8 5 1 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 initially 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 same coin was later made in nickel because people were hoarding these coins because of 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, and was first used by the director of the United States Mint ( James Ross Snowden ) at the time of their production. 

Starting in 1854, the three-cent silver had its silver metal content raised to 90% to encourage circulation. At the same time, its weight was reduced to 3/4 of a gram by reducing thickness. The coin went through a design change at the time such that two lines were now used to border the star on the obverse and an olive sprig was added above and a bundle of arrows below the Roman numeral III on the reverse. A final design change occurred in 1859 because of striking problems: the number of lines bordering the star was reduced to one, and the font was made taller and slightly narrower. The size of the date numerals also varied through the years, with 1860–1863 featuring the smallest date numerals of any US coin. In 1851 only, the New Orleans Mint struck some of the silver three-cent coins. It was minted from 1851 to 1873 at the Philadelphia Mint. Later years had very small mintages and the 1873 issue was in proof state only, commanding prices upwards of $400. However, an earlier-date silver three-cent piece can be bought in worn condition for a relatively low price.

Mintages:

Three cent (silver), 1851–1873

• 1851 (P) – 5,447,400

• 1851 O – 720,000

• 1852 (P) – 18,663,500

• 1853 (P) – 11,400,000

• 1854 (P) – 671,000

• 1855 (P) – 139,000

• 1856 (P) – 1,458,000

• 1857 (P) – 1,042,000

• 1858 (P) – 1,603,700

• 1859 (P) – 364,200

• 1860 (P) – 286,000

• 1861 (P) – 497,000

• 1862 (P) – 343,000

• 1863 (P) – 21,000

• 1864 (P) – 12,000

• 1865 (P) – 8,000

• 1866 (P) – 22,000

• 1867 (P) – 4,000

• 1868 (P) – 3,500

• 1869 (P) – 4,500

• 1870 (P) – 3,000

• 1871 (P) – 3,400

• 1872 (P) – 1,000

• 1873 (P) – 600 (all proof)

Three cent (nickel), 1865–1889

• 1865 (P) – 11,382,000

• 1866 (P) – 4,801,000

• 1867 (P) – 3,915,000

• 1868 (P) – 3,252,000

• 1869 (P) – 1,604,000

• 1870 (P) – 1,335,000

• 1871 (P) – 604,000

• 1872 (P) – 862,000

• 1873 (P) – 1,173,000

• 1874 (P) – 790,000

• 1875 (P) – 228,000

• 1876 (P) – 162,000

• 1877 (P) – About 510 (all proof)

• 1878 (P) – 2,350 (all proof)

• 1879 (P) – 38,000

• 1880 (P) – 21,000

• 1881 (P) – 1,077,000

• 1882 (P) – 22,200

• 1883 (P) – 4,000

• 1884 (P) – 1,700

• 1885 (P) – 1,000

• 1886 (P) – 4,290 (all proof)

• 1887 (P) – 5,000

• 1888 (P) – 36,500

• 1889 (P) – 18,190