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Message:: [QUOTE="johnmilton, post: 5184694, member: 101855"]I have read that the One Dollar Gold Piece was quite popular before the Civil War. The Federal Government did not issue paper money at that time. All of the paper was issued by banks whose paper could range from almost full face value to nothing. A gold dollar spoke for itself. It contained almost dollar's worth of gold and therefore had value for sure. When the Civil War broke out, the gold disappeared from circulation. You could only buy it by paying a premium amount in paper currency. Gold did not return to circulation, after the war because it's melt value exceeded it face value in currency. The mint tired to get the gold dollar back into circulation with some high mintages in 1873 and '74. but its time had passed. The Three Dollar Gold Piece was never popular. The mintages were very low, especially after the first year, and the coin was seldom seen. According to Roger Burdette, the $3 was created because, it was thought, that it would aid in making change among the gold coins. The $2.50 gold piece was too small for large transactions and too much carry every day. It was issued in limited quantities continuously year after year. My mother talked of receiving them as Christmas gifts and the like.[/QUOTE]