1859

The 1859 three-cent silver introduced the Type III design, the final modification to Longacre's trime. The central star now carried only two outlines instead of three, reducing the relief on the obverse and making the coin easier to strike. The reverse design remained similar to Type II, with the olive branch and arrows around the Roman numeral III. The composition continued at 90% silver, and the weight remained at 0.75 grams.

The 1859 mintage was approximately 365,000 coins, a low figure that reflected the continued melting pressure on silver coinage. The trime was surviving as a denomination but not thriving. Most 1859 production went to the proof market and specialty sales rather than to wide commercial distribution. Type III is the design that would appear on every subsequent trime through the series' end in 1873, making 1859 the first year of a fifteen-year final subtype.