What it does
It needs 61 Mining to use and 65 Attack to wield. It mines at exactly the same speed as a dragon pickaxe and has the same Rock Knocker special: the full bar for a +3 Mining boost that fades over three minutes. As a weapon it gives +38 stab, +32 crush and +42 strength. You are paying for rarity, not performance.
Why it is so rare
It sits on the master Treasure Trails reward table at 1/313,168 per roll. The Mimic, which can appear from elite and master caskets, drops it at between 1/5,244 and 1/6,072 depending on the tier, and lucky implings can roll it from the master table. It arrived on 6 July 2016 and was renamed to "3rd Age pickaxe" on 19 August 2026. With so few in the game and collectors chasing every 3rd age piece, almost none are ever sold.
How it trades now
Its value has long sat above the old 2,147,483,647 coin limit, which kept it out of normal Grand Exchange offers. Since 30 September 2026 the exchange accepts offers above that limit, paid with a mix of coins and platinum tokens. The 2% GE tax is capped at 5 million coins per item, so on a sale this size the tax is a small fixed cost rather than a percentage. The buy limit is 40, which nobody will ever reach. High alchemy pays 58,770 coins, the same as a dragon pickaxe.
If you just want to mine faster
A dragon pickaxe gives the same speed for a tiny fraction of the cost, and a crystal pickaxe is faster still. The mining calculator shows how much time each pickaxe saves on your goal, and the mining guide covers which rocks gain most from the special. If you are pricing the rest of the set, the 3rd age axe price follows a similar pattern of rare trades and big gaps.