From http://crustyrusty.blogspot.com/
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Threeper Challenge Coin
Well, actually it's the reverse of a "three cent nickel" from 1888.
I thought it was pretty cool when I saw it.
Maybe we need to make something like that.
I really like the front side, too -- the old gal Columbia in her salad days.LATER: Then again, they're pretty expensive. Here's a discussion and price list from a coin collector's site:
Three-Cent Piece
Another coin that most people aren't familiar with is the three cent piece.
Three cent coins were minted from 1851 to 1889. From 1851 to1873 they were made of 75% silver.
It's the smallest U.S. silver coin ever minted. I've owned a few of these, and boy are they tiny.
From 1865 to 1889, the composition was changed to copper-nickel and the coin became a little larger -- about the size of a dime.
The designer of both types of 3-cent coins was James B. Longacre, and all pieces were struck in Philadelphia.
Here's a little about their worth...
Nickel Three Cent Pieces
1888-1889 - $45.00 to $190.00
1882-1887 $175.00 to $300.00
1881 - $15.00 to $55.00
1879-1880 - $60.00 to $180.00
1878 Proof - $600.00
1877 Proof - $1,200.00
1876-1865 - $18.00 to $75.00
11 comments:
Sounds like a good case for a silver round from Washington or Sunshine Mint.. Or maybe AOCS.
Neat coins but if they are that tiny probably not real practical. I like the III and everything on a coin but it should be a larger coin. Probably next question is should it be silver (which does wear) or an alloy that is tougher. Whatever the design I am interested in any case.
You can probably get a mint to cash in on the idea.
Even silver though, reaches a point where the coin gets too small for it to be practical. This is the point where you go for semi-precious or simply commodity metals, I'm thinking copper and nickel. Both are reasonably valuable, but are much easier to make, and to get the value needed, will be large enough to work. Nickels are called that because they used to be made of nickel, which much like copper is more valuable than a base metal like lead, but is not nearly as valuable as silver.
Hee hee. Make a copper coin that's the right size and weight to be pressed into a jacket for a .308 round.
http://www.uschallengecoins.com/
I looked at NWT mint for some examples but didn't see anything that grabbed me. My artistic skills are nil - hell, making the Nyberg "flair" for Facebook was pushing it.
I'd be interested in garnering a few of these, no matter what metal they were made of.
YeOldFurt
Really cool- now I want one.
I'm not sure if anyone could design a better Three Percent graphic than the Reverse, plus the historical aspect is great.
Just supposing, but if someone were to make a coin what would you guys want on the flip side?
Any interest in personalized coins?
What's a reasonable price range for either a basic challenge coin and a personalized one?
Just curious.
bacsi
FYI, I hit eBay to see what was there. There's a separate category for 3 Cent under the US Coins section.
Used (circulated) III cent coins can be had for under $10, if you don't mind one that's worn. There's even one in the current listing that had a hole bored into it near the rim so one can immediately use it as part of a necklace.
Sizes: the earlier silver coin is (according to Wikipedia) 14mm in diameter. 9/16" is 14.29mm. The later nickel one is 17.9mm and the nearest inch equivalent drill size is 23/32" (18.26mm) BTW, 3/4" works out to 19.04mm, so if you don't want one around your neck, you can take a drill and some epoxy and install it on the butt section of your Constitution Rifle.
I bought one of these back in the 70's A 1870 in xf(extra fine) to au(about uncirculated). I paid about 20.00 fo it.
I knew a girl who got one of these in a poker game years ago, someone thought it was a dime!
My opinion: Make 'em of copper jacket with lead core!!
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