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1870
| Weight | 1.94 g |
| Diameter | 17.9 mm |
| Mint | Philadelphia |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,335,000 |
| Edge | Plain |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 75% Copper, 25% Nickel |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-943 |
Collection
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No additional varieties recorded for this strike.
External references
Mintage for 1870 fell to 1.33 million coins. Production drifted downward through the early 1870s as the denomination's commercial urgency faded. The coin remained useful for postage stamp purchases and small retail transactions, but it was no longer needed in the quantities the Mint had produced during the immediate postwar years.
February 1870 brought the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment, prohibiting the denial of voting rights on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Within months, Hiram Revels of Mississippi became the first Black man to sit in the United States Senate. The 1870 is common enough in lower grades but becomes less common in Very Fine and above.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | $17 | $19.50 |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | $21 | $24 |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | $25 | $29 |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | $28 | $32 |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | $40 | $46 |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | $53 | $61 |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | $121 | $140 |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | — | — |
How much is a 1870 Three-Cent Nickel worth?
How many 1870 Three-Cent Nickels were minted?
What is a 1870 Three-Cent Nickel made of?
What is the melt value of a 1870 Three-Cent Nickel?
Is the 1870 Three-Cent Nickel a key date?
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