1865

Only 8,000 circulation strikes left Philadelphia in 1865, the lowest figure in the entire series. Even as the Civil War ended at Appomattox in April and Lincoln was assassinated days later at Ford's Theatre, the Mint produced almost no trimes. The denomination had also acquired a direct competitor: the three-cent nickel, introduced in 1865 under the Act of March 3, 1865. The nickel version was larger, more durable, and made of base metal that offered no incentive for hoarding. The silver three-cent piece's commercial role was effectively over.

The 8,000-coin mintage makes the 1865 one of the lowest-production regular-issue trimes. The circulation-strike 1865 is genuinely rare in any grade. Most surviving examples are in lower circulated condition, and finding one in Fine or better takes active searching. At the very top of the market, the finest known example, graded MS69 by PCGS, sold for $180,000 at Stack's Bowers in August 2024, one of the highest prices ever realized for any trime.

The 1865 marks the beginning of the final phase of the three-cent silver: a coin that continued to exist on paper and in small annual productions but had no meaningful commercial role. The introduction of the three-cent nickel in the same year was the practical end of the denomination. Everything from 1865 through 1873 was essentially a collector-driven production.