1887 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. MS-64 (PCGS).An originally and attractively preserved example of this low mintage entry from the waning years of the three-dollar gold series. Vivid rose-gold patina blankets both sides, the surfaces of which are lustrous and overall smooth. Boldly to sharply struck, as well, and sure to please. The 1887, with a mintage of 6,000 pieces, is among the low mintage circulation strikes that comprise the final decade of this series. Thanks to the activities of the Chapman brothers and other contemporary numismatists and speculators, an appreciable number of these have survived, some later retrieved from bank reserves after acquiring light wear. Even so, the 1887 is actually one of the scarcest three-dollar gold issues, so it seems likely that the vast majority of the mintage never left the Mint in the first place. With most pieces presumably melted as undistributed, survivors are scarce to rare in all grades. As a solidly graded and aesthetically pleasing near-Gem, this delightful piece will be just right for an advanced cabinet.From the Marc D. Cohen Collection.
