1888 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. MS-62 (PCGS).Softly frosted luster blends with warm medium gold patina on both sides of this handsome BU example. Among the most available three-dollar gold issues from the 1880s, the extant population of the 1888 has long provided Mint State coins for collections. The mintage of 5,000 circulation strikes was only nominally smaller than that of the preceding year and it is thought some 350 to 450 examples of the date can be found in Mint State, attesting to the fact that many examples were set aside by contemporary dealers. However, availability dwindles rapidly as one progresses up the numismatic grading scale, this attractive MS-62 representing good value for the sharp-eyed numismatist.
