Along with the 1869 and the 1871, the 1870 is one of the most overlooked three dollar gold pieces in Uncirculated. There are no Gems known and only two or three in MS64. This fresh-to-the-market example is the best 1870 three which I have offered for sale and it is likely among the finest known.

Only 3,500 business strike 1870 threes were made and as with many of the low mintage issues of this design, the surfaces on this piece are mostly prooflike with some frost intermixed. The coloration is a rich reddish-gold hue while the surfaces are very clean with just a few wispy lines in the left obverse field precluding an otherwise-deserved full MS64 grade.

The last MS63 to sell at auction was a PCGS coin offered as Stacks 11/08: 4285 which brought $17,250. Only one other has been offered since the summer of 2007. In January 2010, an NGC MS64 sold for $19,550 in the Heritage FUN auction and it was comparable in quality to the present PCGS MS63+.

This is the only 63+ to be certified by either major service and only two finer pieces, both MS64, have ever been graded by PCGS. An important coin for the specialist.

CAC has approved just this one coin in MS63 (or MS63+) with none finer.

On Hold