1889 United States 3 Dollar Value
Today a 1889 United States 3 Dollar typically sells for $486 to $5,253, with condition doing most of the work; the melt floor under every example is $486 (spot prices as of 2026-06-01) See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.
Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.
Melt estimated at the US 0.900 gold standard.
1889 United States 3 Dollar value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $486.42 |
| Good (G-4) | $486 to $584 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $486 to $601 |
| Fine (F-12) | $486 to $630 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $486 to $671 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $537 to $759 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $662 to $934 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $910 to $1,284 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,447 to $2,043 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $3,721 to $5,253 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. 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 Dollar
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1889 United States 3 Dollar starts around $486. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $5,253. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1889 United States 3 Dollar specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1889
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Gold
- Weight
- 5.018 g
- Diameter
- 20 mm
- Gold content
- 0.14520 troy oz
Why this coin has no mint mark
Look for a letter and you will not find one. The 1889 United States 3 Dollar is a Philadelphia product, and the main mint did not sign its work at this time.
What makes the 1889 United States 3 Dollar valuable
Documented examples of the 1889 United States 3 Dollar in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.
Pre-1933 gold carries two values at once: the 1889 United States 3 Dollar holds 0.1452 oz of metal ($486 today) plus the historical premium of a coin the Treasury once tried to recall entirely.
Context adds the final layer to the 1889 United States 3 Dollar. 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 Dollar inscriptions & design
Obverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
bust l.
Reverse
3 DOLLARS 1889
wreath
Measured 1889 United States 3 Dollar specimens
2 physically measured 1889 United States 3 Dollar examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 5.018 g, 20 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1889 United States 3 Dollar #1 | 5.018 g | 20 mm | - | Friedberg.USA.124, Breen.6406 |
| 1889 United States 3 Dollar #2 | - | - | - | Breen.6406, Friedberg.USA.124 |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.
Summary: the 1889 United States 3 Dollar is valued between $486 and $5,253 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.