1865-1889 Nickel Three Cent Piece

Hoarding of silver coins immediately following the Civil War caused a coin shortage. To help make change, the 3¢ piece was struck in copper-nickel.With the exception of the first year, mintages rarely topped 4.8 million, and in time many of these early nickel coins returned to the Philadelphia Mint to be melted down – making them elusive for collectors today.