Lot 1548

U.S.A., 3 Dollar 1882, (Three Dollars Gold), from a business-strike mintage of just 1,500 pieces. Mintages of most gold denominations were low in 1882, as the coins were not needed in commerce, where earlier issues were usually encountered. To prevent creating instant rarities for collectors and to supply at least some of the gold depositors with smaller denominations, all coins were struck but in small quantities. Additionally, the $3 denomination had basically ceased circulating by the early 1860s, and the odd denomination was basically useless by 1882, rare, extremely fine