1889 $3 Indian Princes

The 1889 three-dollar gold piece is the final issue of the denomination. Philadelphia struck 2,429 coins, ending a series that had begun in 1854 and never achieved the commercial success its proponents envisioned. The three-dollar denomination was discontinued by the same legislation that ended the gold dollar in 1890. The coin had served an awkward role from the start: too close in value to the quarter eagle, too unusual in denomination to be practical for everyday commerce.

The 1889 is modestly scarce, with PCGS estimating roughly 40 to 60 survivors. Terminal-year status adds appeal for collectors, and the coin marks the close of a denomination that exists almost entirely as a collector series. The three-dollar gold piece was produced for thirty-five years, but its total lifetime mintage across all dates is smaller than many single years of quarter eagle or half eagle production.