three cents Soon to be my new 3c pieces 1 1

[TheColoradoNumismatist]

Hey everyone!

So, I have a local Indoor Flea Market that's right down the block from me. I'm really cool with the owners and a guy who works there and also owns a booth there. They have tons of vendors. One of the booths is a coin, note and bullion booth. So, I'm not too familiar with 3c pieces but they have a 2-coin set, nothing particular just two random coins. But here is the thing, I did not have my phone with me to check prices so I wrote down the years, couldn't see mints but one of the coins is an 1853 Silver 3c piece type 1 small star. That coin is worth a pretty decent amount even in low grades. I can't give an estimate on a grade the lighting was poor I'm going to go back tomorrow to try and do that. Now the second one was the Copper-Nickel 1867 3c piece. Not terrible condition for either of the coins. But I don't think it really matters the condition of the coins because they're letting the two go for 54.00 USD. I would be dumb not to go grab those tomorrow, right?

~ Happy Hunting

TheColoradoNumismatist 

P.S. I will be adding pictures of the coin's tomorrow, given I have permission.

[l.cutler]

It really depends on condition.  A quick check of sold listings shows both dates in lower grade selling for less than $20 each. If in higher grade without problems, then may be worth it.

[Coinbuf]

Not very much anyone can opine in lieu of photos or a TPG grade.   Neither coin is difficult to find certified or raw, the 3cs can get pricey in AU and above for a nice eye appealing example.   The 3cn is very common and inexpensive even well into the lower MS grades.

I hope these work out well for you, but it sounds like you are paying high retail for what are common and possibly cleaned or damaged coins.   Not trying to impugn the reputation of the seller but many a flea market seller has been known to crack problem coins out of TPG holders and attempt to sell as problem free, buyer beware.

[Sandon]

   These are common dates within their respective series. I assume that by "small star" the seller means that it is a Redbook "Variety 1" silver three cent piece without any outlines around the star, as are all of these coins dated from 1851 through 1853, which are the most common type.  Many of these pieces are excessively worn, "cleaned", damaged, or otherwise impaired, in which case even the $54 for the pair wouldn't be a good deal. You really need to look at and photograph them under proper lighting for us to give you some idea of their condition and value. It is unlikely that they are in nice condition for this price, and you should try to buy the best coins that you can afford.

    I did a topic on the copper-nickel three cent pieces, which I hope to continue once I have a chance to photograph more of my coins of this series, of which I have every date. It will show you what these coins look like in higher grades and information about them. Three Cent Nickels - US, World, and Ancient Coins - NGC Coin Collectors Chat Boards.  I also have a registry set of the three cent silver pieces that includes at least one of each of the three types of these coins in AU condition, with photos. Set Details | NGC Registry | NGC (ngccoin.com).

 

 

 

[Henri Charriere]

On 12/1/2023 at 12:39 PM, Coinbuf said:

....  Not trying to impugn the reputation of the seller but many a flea market seller has been known to crack problem coins out of TPG holders and attempt to sell as problem free, buyer beware.

Makes sense to me.  Thanks for bringing this to the attention of the membership.