Three Cent Nickel
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Spanning 1865 to 1889, the Three Cent Nickel catalog contains 49 year-and-mintmark variants. Across the series, the key date is the 1865 Three Cent Nickel at just 500 struck and the highest-value variant is the 1884 Three Cent Nickel at up to $32,000 in top grade.
Three Cent Nickel · All Strikes Mintage by Year
Peak 11MCombined mintage per year across every strike type (circulated, proof, and specimen) and all mintmarks.
About the Three Cent Nickel
The Three Cent Nickel is a unique US coin, also known as the “Trime” or “Fishscale” due to its scalloped edges. The coin was minted from 1865 to 1889 and was composed of 75% copper and 25% nickel. As the name implies, it was worth three cents and featured a nickel-colored five-pointed star on the obverse side.
The coin was designed by James B. Longacre and was known to have large mintages. Most Three Cent Nickels are affordable for collectors, as the typical circulated pieces can be found for under $40. However, the rarest pieces, such as the 1866 without “Ray” and 1883 with the “C” below the date can be quite expensive, often worth thousands of dollars.
In total, there were 24 different designs and mintages of Three Cent Nickels. The coins were produced at Philadelphia, Carson City and San Francisco, with most of the piece’s mintage coming from the East Coast. While the coin had a short run, it is still recognized as an important part of US numismatic history.
Most-collected Three Cent Nickel coins on LuckyCoin
Looking for coins from a specific year across every denomination? Browse US coin values by year →
Which Three Cent Nickel coins do collectors actually own? See the 2026 rarity & ownership report →
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Three Cent Nickel minted?
- The Three Cent Nickel was minted by United States from 1865 to 1889.
- How many Three Cent Nickel coins were minted?
- Across every year and mintmark, approximately 31,388,826 Three Cent Nickel coins were struck.
- What is the Three Cent Nickel made of?
- The Three Cent Nickel is made of copper-nickel (.750 copper, .250 nickel), weighs 1.94 grams, and measures 17.9 mm in diameter.
- How much is a Three Cent Nickel worth?
- Value depends on year, mintmark, and condition. Common dates in average circulated condition trade for near face value, while the rarest varieties in top grade can fetch up to $32,000. See individual year pages for grade-by-grade estimates.