1882 $3 MS(PCGS#8004)

June 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

4190

Grade

AU55

Price

4,148

Lot Description

Pretty orange-honey color adorns modestly semi-prooflike surfaces. The fields are lightly reflective and form a nice backdrop to frosty, boldly impressed design elements. A touch of glossiness to the texture is noted for accuracy, but no singularly distracting marks are seen during in-hand viewing. The Philadelphia Mint struck only 1,500 circulation strike three-dollar gold pieces in 1882 during an era when the usefulness of this denomination in commerce (such as it ever was) had long since passed. Survivors are scarce in an absolute sense, and most are lightly circulated after having been obtained from bank deposits by numismatists such as Thomas L. Elder during the early 20th century.