1878 United States 3 Cent Value
A 1878 United States 3 Cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1878 United States 3 Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
What is a 1878 United States 3 Cent worth right now?
The market for the 1878 United States 3 Cent is driven by condition above all.
1878 United States 3 Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1878
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Cupronickel
Why there is no letter on this coin
The 1878 United States 3 Cent comes from Philadelphia, which struck coins without a mint mark. If the spot where branch-mint coins show a letter is empty on your 1878, that is exactly as it should be.
What makes the 1878 United States 3 Cent valuable
Official mintage figures for the 1878 United States 3 Cent are not well established. The museum-documented specimens behind our specifications provide the physical reference points for the issue, and the market prices it on observed scarcity.
Context adds the final layer to the 1878 United States 3 Cent. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
1878 United States 3 Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / LIBERTY [on coronet] / (date)
Liberty bust left
Reverse
III
Value in wreath
Measured 1878 United States 3 Cent specimens
1 physically measured 1878 United States 3 Cent example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1878 United States 3 Cent #1 | - | - | - | Breen.2440 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.