1880 Three-Dollar Gold Piece. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6-. Proof-66+ Ultra Cameo (NGC). A charming specimen with vivid golden-yellow patina and pronounced field to device contrast. Both sides are fully struck, as befits the method of manufacture, and the in hand appearance is smooth and inviting to support the premium Gem numeric grade from NGC. Close inspection with a loupe reveals the subtle "orange peel" texture seen so often on late 19th century U.S. Mint Proof gold coinage. Visually appealing, and of great significance given the rarity of the Proof three-dollar gold piece as a type.<p>The Philadelphia Mint struck just 36 Proof three-dollar gold pieces in 1880. Writing in the excellent 2005 reference <em>The United States $3 Gold Pieces: 1854-1889</em>, Q. David Bowers and Doug Winter estimate that 24 to 30 examples have survived to the present day. More modern research by John W. Dannreuther (<em>United States Proof Coins</em>, 2018) is also more conservative with regard to this issue; the author states that only 18 to 22 pieces are known. In either case, a fair number of the survivors are impaired from having been placed into circulation by earlier generations of collectors. While it may be difficult to imagine such a scenario in the rare coin market of the 21st century, during the final decades of the 19th century the numismatic value of Proofs such as this was not much more than the face value. Consequently, a stellar-quality Proof 1880 three-dollar gold piece, as here, is a very rare coin that would serve as a highlight in the finest cabinet.
