1865 Three Dollars Gold NGC MS60. The final civil war date of this interesting denomination. Introduced in 1854, the $3 gold piece was never very popular with the general public at that time, and as a result, mintages were generally very low. A miniscule 1,140 pieces were struck in 1865, including 25 proofs produced for collectors and for presentation to important people of the time.

After the civil war, mintages further declined. Speculation however, soon arose, as collectors realize that these coins would become scarce today. As a result, although most $3 gold coins are scarce, the relative rarities of mint state pieces is even lower than expected. In 1865, most collectors did not set aside this particular issue, creating a rarity in any mint-state grade.

The 1865 is one of the scarcer issues of the $3 gold pieces, although this fact is not widely known. While several well known collectors have undertaken the challenge of completing this set by date and Mint, the rarity of these pieces have created higher prices, especially because of the demand for these coins has been increasing. In uncirculated condition, this date is seldom offered, really not more than once or twice a year, at most. Estimates range from a total of 65-80 known pieces, with only a small minority of those remaining coins in mint-state.

The present piece, although certified by NGC at the lowest mint-state level, is a truly uncirculated coin. In reality this coin looks better than the grade indicates. Lustrous, prooflike fields are seen, a feature indicating this coin was part of the initial striking. This current offering is rare opportunity to obtain an uncirculated example of this scarce Civil War Three Dollar Gold Coin.