1881 $3 MS(PCGS#8003)

Spring 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

4501

Grade

XF45

Price

6,600

Lot Description

Exceptionally bold and vivid toning in a classic U.S. Mint gold coin, both sides exhibit crescents of rich steel-rose and deep lilac peripheral color around honey-gold centers. The 1881 is one of the most eagerly sought three-dollar gold coins across the entire grading spectrum, the circulation strike mintage only 500 pieces. Most survivors are lightly circulated, as here, and were retrieved from bank reserves in the early 20th century through a campaign conducted for such purposes by numismatist Thomas L. Elder. Even so, there are nowhere near enough coins extant to meet the demand from today's advanced gold collectors, underscoring the significance of the present offering.