1858 Silver Three-Cent Piece. Proof-67 (NGC).Amazing! Simply amazing! Here is the third Proof in the Type II series of just four dates. We havent checked, but we hazard a guess that only a handful of sales in the past 100 years have had this many.The beautiful surfaces of this Superb Gem silver three-cent piece reveal vivid undertones and universal mint brilliance as the coin dips into a light. It is a fully struck, expertly preserved specimen that ranks among the finest survivors of this challenging early issue. In 1858 the United States Mint marketed Proof coins to the general public for the first time. In keeping with the practice from earlier years, however, the mintage for the individual Proof issues was not recorded. (The following year would see the first reporting of Proof mintages for gold and silver coins.) Approximately 210 silver three-cent pieces were struck in 1858 for distribution with the years silver Proof sets. Additional pieces were almost certainly produced for individual sale, and the total mintage for this issue is likely on the order of 300 pieces. The number of Proof sets prepared proved optimistic, however, and many failed to find buyers. With approximately 100 Proof 1858 silver three-cent pieces extant, we find it difficult to believe that more than 150 pieces were actually sold to contemporary collectors. Those that were not were retained in the Mint until released into circulation in later years.In addition to its absolute rarity, the coin offered here possesses remarkable condition rarity. Most survivors of early silver Proof coinage from the 1850s and 1860s are impaired from repeated cleanings at the hands of earlier numismatists. As pristine as the day it was struck, and originally preserved, this Condition Census coin will please even the most discerning of todays quality-conscious collectors.From the High Rise Collection.
