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3 Cents 'Fractional Currency' - 3rd series
| Issuer | United States Treasury |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 3 Cents (0.03 USD) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Act of March 3d. 1863 United States RECEIVABLE FOR ALL U.S. STAMPS. THREE CENTS Furnished only by the Assistant Treasurers & Designated Depositaries of the United States. FRACTIONAL CURRENCY Treasury Department |
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| Reverse lettering | This Note is Exchangeable for UNITED STATES NOTES BY ASSISTANT TREASURERS AND DESIGNATED DEPOSITARIES OF THE UNITED STATES in sums not less than Three Dollars. RECEIVABLE IN PAYMENT OF ALL DUES TO THE UNITED STATES LESS THAN FIVE DOLLARS EXCEPT CUSTOMS. |
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| Comments |
The Fractional Currency program was a direct response to coin hoarding that began almost immediately after Fort Sumter. By mid-1862, specie had vanished from everyday commerce — people were using postage stamps as small change until the gum made them unmanageable. The 3-cent denomination tracked the contemporary 3-cent postage rate and the copper-nickel 3-cent coin it was effectively replacing in transactions.
Third Series notes were printed on paper with pink fibers embedded as a rudimentary anti-counterfeiting measure — a response to the embarrassingly successful forgeries that had plagued the First and Second Series. The Bureau also added a red Treasury seal to this series specifically because of that counterfeiting problem.