1889 United States 3 Cent Value
A 1889 United States 3 Cent is worth roughly its melt value to well into four figures depending on its condition. Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
1889 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.
Today's value of the 1889 United States 3 Cent
The market for the 1889 United States 3 Cent is driven by condition above all.
1889 United States 3 Cent specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1889
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Cupronickel
Why there is no letter on this coin
Philadelphia struck the 1889 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 1889 United States 3 Cent valuable
Documented examples of the 1889 United States 3 Cent in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
Context adds the final layer to the 1889 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.
1889 United States 3 Cent inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / LIBERTY [on coronet] / (date)
Liberty bust left
Reverse
III
Value in wreath
Measured 1889 United States 3 Cent specimens
1 physically measured 1889 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 United States 3 Cent #1 | - | - | - | Breen.2455 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.