Gold 3 Dollar
The $3 gold coin was first introduced in 1854. As with the only other “three” denomination coin issued by the US Mint, the three-cent piece, the impetus for its coinage was a change in the price of postage. It was hoped that a $3 gold coin would facilitate the purchase of bulk quantities of postage. In practice, however, the coin proved to be one of the most unpopular in US history. As a result, only a small number, 500,000, were minted over its entire 35-year lifespan. The $3 gold coin was abandoned in 1889, along with the only remaining “three” denomination coin, the three-cent nickel.