1879 $3 Three Dollars Gold, NGC PF65 Ultra Cameo. Blasty PQ. Very rare. Mintage 30. Among the finest known from a miniscule mintage of just 30 pieces, this gem Proof three dollar gold piece is truly an exceptional piece from the late 1870s. Sharp, frosty and fresh, this is a very rare example of this low-mintage Proof date of the three dollar gold series. The circulation strikes had a mintage of just 3,000, to which only these Proofs can be added. The Proofs, according to Walter Breen were divided by two deliveries, the first being twenty coins minted and delivered on January 25. An additional 10 coins were delivered on November 22 of the same year. To identify the differences between the two deliveries Breen suggests looking at the die rust on the obverse die. Minor rust on the devices would mean a coin from the January delivery, whereas more die rust would indicate a coin which was not minted until late November. If that is true, this coin would be among the first to be delivered in January, as the presence of die rust is minimal.

The offering of any Proof 1879 $3 gold piece is a rare occurrence. Approximately a dozen pieces are available to collectors, with perhaps two or three permanently impounded in museum collections. Of the pieces known, a few have been impaired by cleaning, leaving approximately seven or eight original examples left for the conscious collector. About four or five of these are in gem or finer condition, usually with fully mirrored surfaces. The present coin is unquestionably a Proof, having fully struck devices and deeply mirrored fields. Most pieces of the business strike deliveries have prooflike fields as well, due to the low mintage, making identification of true Proofs sometimes difficult. A close look at the date area is important to identify the Proofs, as the field upper part of the eight and nine will be slightly impaired. On business strikes, these fields will be clear.

This is an issue which is usually overshadowed by the famous $4 gold pieces of the same year (nicknamed Stella) but rarer and harder to find than those gold coins. Strong frost with mirrorlike devices highlight the black and white contrast on the watery fields, with no luster breaks noted. As can be expected for a Proof, the strike is full and sharp, with no weakness seen on either side. Nearly free of hairlines, usually limiting the grade, with a few hidden in the fields on the reverse, but less than usually encountered. Truly a coin of premium quality, this piece is destined for a specialized collection of Proof gold or $3 gold pieces.