1862 3CS PCGS AU55 CAC. Civil War Three-Cent Silver. This 1862 three-cent silver or “trime” shows some mint luster under the toning, especially so on the reverse. The obverse has various shades of dark colors making up the toning in the field and at the star’s edges. Lighter speckles of color are seen on the star. The reverse is darkest at the top and around the central device to the right. The central device is lightly toned on top and fades to white on the arrows. A touch of wear is seen on the highest points of the design, in keeping with the grade, which is confirmed by CAC. The strike shows central weakness on both sides of the coin.

The 1862 three-cent silver is a Type 3 piece. They are available today more readily than the previous types because the revised type had better striking qualities, more resistance to wear, and also because of hoarding. In 1861 New York banks suspended specie payment for the balance of the war. Silver coins vanished and Civil War tokens replaced them.