This coin, minted both in silver and nickel, has an unusual history. They were created in 1851 for postage due to the decrease from five cents to three cents. There are a few different designs and they were all made in Philadelphia with the exception of the 1851-O which was made in New Orleans. The mint mark was placed on the reverse in between the opening of the "C". These beautiful and unique coins are a great way to get a set started whether you are collecting by date, type, or novelty the 3 cent pieces are a must have! A fun fact about the silver three-cent piece is that it was the smallest physical size U.S coin ever made.