The Liberty Seated quarter dollar had first been struck in 1838, but its life was a peaceful one until the late 1840s when the California Gold Rush disrupted the international money markets. So much gold was mined in the American West that delicate monetary systems, usually a mixture of gold and silver coins, were upset.
In the United States, the effect of the massive discoveries of gold first began to be felt during the summer of 1849, and by the end of the year silver coins had begun to leave the country in ever-growing amounts. Because gold had become relatively cheaper in terms of silver, bullion dealers were buying up every silver coin that could be found and shipping them to Europe for melting.
By early in 1851, the situation became so serious that at last the government acted: Congress decreed that a small silver coin of 3 cents, the trime, would be struck. To make certain that these new coins would not be melted or exported, fineness was set at .750, down from the normal .900.
Trimes were struck in large quantities during 1851 and 1852 and went a long ways towards making life easier in the marketplace. Citizens could again go to the store and buy something without having to use copper cents or gold coins as their only option. (Gold dollars
