Question: I am seeking a Type II 1854-1858 silver three-cent piece, but all I have seen have been poorly struck. Do sharply struck pieces exist? IF so, how can I find one? –S.O.
Answer: Silver three-cent pieces of this era are notorious for their weak striking. In fact, this is why the design was changed after 1858. In general, it has been my experience that the scarcest date in the series, 1855 (mintage 139,000) is also the date that comes best struck. While they are scarce, they do come on the market from time to time. When making a purchase, simply request a sharply struck piece or don’t order it or bid on it otherwise.
As the series progressed, striking became more of a problem and nearly all of the issues from 1856 to 1858 are weakly struck, sometimes almost flat at the borders.
