1863 Three-Cent Silver Proof: Striking Record, Population and Auction Results
CoinWeek published a guide to the 1863 Three-Cent Silver proof on January 20, 2026. According to the article, 460 proofs were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. A PCGS PR68CAM example sold for $40,800 at Heritage Auctions on May 5, 2022.
Correction (Oct 13, 2026): We rewrote the headline, summary and body to match the source. We removed price ranges not in the source (including claims that PR65 and better examples bring $5,000 to over $20,000), claims that silver prices support the coin's value, grade-by-grade market behavior, investment and asset-class commentary, and unrelated general material on mint marks and the Sheldon scale, stated the striking record, specifications, population and dated auction records as the source gives them, and noted where the source's striking figures and dates do not agree. The previous headline was "The 460-Piece Legend: Why 1863 Three-Cent Silver PR65 Commands $20K+ at PCGS/NGC."
This article is based on a coin profile published by CoinWeek on January 20, 2026, written by Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker. It is not a report on a new event.
CoinWeek's guide to the 1863 Three-Cent Silver in proof (a special mirror-finish striking made for collectors) covers its striking record, population figures and auction records.
Striking Record
According to CoinWeek, the coin was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, and only 460 proofs were made during a "three-day window." The striking record given in the article shows three separate striking dates rather than three consecutive days:
- March 5, 1863: 160 struck - March 6, 1863: 160 struck - May 26, 1863: 200 struck - Total: 460 proof coins
The article is inconsistent on two points in this record:
- The three amounts in the table (160, 160 and 200) add up to more than the stated total of 460. The article does not make clear which figure is correct. - Elsewhere in the same article, the text says the final batch of 200 coins was struck in early June, which does not match the May 26 date in the table.
The article says that by 1863, silver coins had mostly vanished from everyday commerce because of hoarding and inflation, and that as a result the Mint produced only proof versions of the three-cent silver piece, intended for collectors and presentation.
Design and Specifications
The coin was designed by James B. Longacre. The obverse shows a six-pointed star with the Union shield at its center. The reverse shows the Roman numeral "III" surrounded by a laurel wreath.
According to the article's specification table, the alloy is .900 silver and .100 copper, the weight is 0.75 g, the diameter is 14.00 mm, the edge is plain, and there is no mint mark, the mark showing which mint struck a coin (Philadelphia).
Population and Auction Records
The article says far fewer examples survive today because of handling, melting and attrition. As of May 2025, the top population was two coins at PCGS PR67+CAM and one at NGC PF67+UC.
Specimens cited in the article include:
- PCGS PR68CAM: offered by Stack's Bowers in November 2014; sold for $40,800 in "The Warren Collection" sale at Heritage Auctions on May 5, 2022. - NGC PF-67CAM CMQ: offered by Stack's Bowers on March 26, 2024, with rainbow toning on the obverse. - PCGS PR66+ CAC: passed at Legend Rare Coin Auctions on December 16, 2021. - PCGS PR66: offered by Stack's Bowers on August 18, 2023, with dark red, green and turquoise toning on the obverse.
Source: CoinWeek, "1863 Three-Cent Silver Proof : A Collector's Guide" (January 20, 2026).
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