The three cent nickel is similar to the Trime in many ways but they are completely different coins. The Trime was also worth three cents but it was made of silver and due to inflation the public held onto them for their metal content so the government had to produce coins out on nickel which has very little value. This eventually leads to the start of a problem we deal with today, the government printing paper money with no real value. All American coins before this coin (before 1865) had copper, silver, or gold to give the coin real value but in 1865 these coins plus “Legal Tender Notes” became popular. These notes or as we call them now, paper money, started in 1862 and have increased in use until credit cards came out. The three cent nickel had very little value but it helped the government debt from spiraling out of control attributed to the Civil War.
The three cent nickel is a very well designed coin that resisted being deteriorated by circulation very well. Lady Liberty has a tiara on the obverse of the coin and the reverse has he Roman numeral III surrounded by a wreath. My example shows most details so it is in very fine condition worth about $20. I asked my local coin shop employee if he had any three cent nickels so he went into the back and found just this one and sold it to me for a great price of $15.
