1876

1876 was the centennial year. The Centennial Exposition opened on the Schuylkill River just a short walk from the Philadelphia Mint, drawing nearly ten million visitors to see Alexander Graham Bell's new telephone, the Corliss steam engine, the arm and torch of what would become the Statue of Liberty. Out west, the Seventh Cavalry under George Armstrong Custer rode into disaster on June 25 at the Little Bighorn. Against all of that, the Mint struck just 162,000 three-cent nickels, continuing the pattern of minimal production during the depression. The denomination was not honored in any centennial commemoration. It circulated quietly while the country celebrated at larger denominations.

Most surviving 1876 examples are in lower circulated grades. Fine and above command meaningful premiums, and Uncirculated coins with original surfaces are uncommon enough to attract attention at auction.