1887 United States 3 Cent Value
A 1887 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.
1887 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 1887 United States 3 Cent worth right now?
The market for the 1887 United States 3 Cent is driven by condition above all.
1887 United States 3 Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1887
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Cupronickel
Why this coin has no mint mark
Philadelphia struck the 1887 United States 3 Cent, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (see the series guide) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
What makes the 1887 United States 3 Cent valuable
Official mintage figures for the 1887 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 1887 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.
1887 United States 3 Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / LIBERTY [on coronet] / (date)
Liberty bust left
Reverse
III
Value in wreath
Measured 1887 United States 3 Cent specimens
2 physically measured 1887 United States 3 Cent examples 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 United States 3 Cent #1 | - | - | - | Breen.2452 |
| 1887 United States 3 Cent #2 | - | - | - | Breen.2453 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.