1874-CC Half Dollar Coin of the Week 03/20/11

Coin Of The Week: March 20, 2011 1874-CC Liberty Seated Half Dollar.
Mintage: 59,000
Survival estimates all grades 100 – 125
Estimates in Uncirculated 9 – 15
Estimates in XF to AU 21 – 30
Total certified examples all
Grades (PCGS and NGC)* 66 as of July 2003

A popular spot in the 1870’s at the U.S. Mint on Carson Street was located just inside the front entrance on the right where the depositors received their payments for the bullion that they had dropped off.
The Carson City Mint’s operations were lifted to new levels in 1874 when production measured in face value increased over 400%*, with gold coins and trade dollars accounting for most of the rise. Dime and Half Dollar production actually decreased during 1874 and no Quarters were minted at all.
Only four obverse dies and two reverse dies were used to make half dollars. Six obverse dies were requested, but the Mint was only shipped the four obverses and two reverse dies indicating that low mintages were to be projected for 1874. In light of a tenfold increase in trade dollar production, all other silver coinage was kept at a minimum. The numbers of die marriages know for this date are three. All 1874-CC half dollars have arrows at the date. With President Grant’s signature on the “Coin Act of 1873”, on February 12, 1873 amongst other provisions, the planchet weight for the newly minted halves was increased from 192.0 grains (+/- 1.5) to 192.9 grains (+/- 1.5) effective April 1, 1873.
In 1874 approximately 90 tons of silver and 5 tons of gold were transported to the Carson City Mint at which time a portion of the metal was returned to depositors in the form of unparted bars, a larger share was returned as parted bars and to a lesser extant, coins.
The Carson City Mint’s annual production had also risen from $ 8 million in 1870 to over $22 million in 1874.
1874 also marked the last year of the “with arrows” coinage as the treasury assumed that everyone had gotten the idea regarding the weight change, to put the weight change into perspective, the additional silver added up to 3 1/3 ounces for every 2000 coins struck.
For those of us looking to put together a type set of Carson City coins the 1873-CC half dollar would be a more likely candidate with a mintage of 214,560 half dollars “ with arrows” compared to only 59,000 1874-CC half dollars struck. The 1874-CC is a much tougher coin to locate.
1874-CC Finest Known’s
PCGS MS-66** (1)
PCGS MS-65** (1) may actually be the same coin as above
NGC MS-64 (2)
PCGS MS-64 (1)
Notable Pedigrees
World’s Greatest collection (1945)
Atwater (1946)
Anderson Dupont (1954)
R.L.Miles (1969)
Reed Hawn (1973)
Norweb (1988)
RARCOA Auction ’90 (1990)
James B. Pryor (1996) ex. Norweb
Eliasberg (1997)
Noblet (1999)
Queller Collection (2002)

Again a great source of information regarding Carson City half dollars I find is “ A Register of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Varieties Volume II Carson City Branch Mint by Bill Bugert and “The Mint on Carson Street” by Rusty Goe.
1874 in History
Nevada held its first State Fair in 1874

January 1 New York City annexes the Bronx

January 31 Jesse James gang rob train at Gads Hill, Missouri

February 27 Baseball first played in England

March 21 President Grant’s daughter Nellie marries in
the White House

May 20 Levi Strauss markets blue jeans with copper rivets: price $13.50 per dozen.

July 1 1st US zoo opens (Philadelphia)

December 15 1st reigning King to visit us (of Hawaii) received by President Grant.

I hope you find this addition of the “Coin OF the Week” with some facts you may not have known regarding this issue, I know that I did.

Loosechange,

Your article is certainly chock full of interesting facts. Carson City minted coins are a wellspring of interesting history as you are discovering.

Below is a photo of the 1874-CC 50c from the Rian's Bequeath Carson City Coin Collection.



Belay Off

Great coin there Belay, and a huge thank you again for posting a picture. I love the golden toning around the reverse. Thanks for all your help.

Loosechange

Hi Loosechange

Congratulations on a very fine article here containing tons of info regarding this rare "CC" seated dollar date. Rusty has listed this coin as one of the Top 25* coins from the Carson mint.
*(Top 25 from The Mint on Carson Street by Rusty Goe)

Thank you for your great COW post and I look forward to more

the drummer

Hi Belay

Many thanks for providing this picture of your beautiful 1874-CC arrows seated half dollar. It looks like it has some great luster and as Loose Change pointed out, some beautiful toning.

I don't own an 1874-CC arrows seated half dollar yet but if I ever get so lucky I only hope my coin can be as nice as your example pictured.

the drummer

Loosechange,

With only 100 to 125 known to exsist, I would imagine Belays coin must be within the top catagory as far as rarity and condition goes. I passed up an opportunity to purchase a good-4 grade as I was saving for a Gold coin purchase at the time. After reading your post, I wish I had made the purchase now even if it was only a lower graded example.

I am trying to remember from my visits to the Carson Mint , (Nevada State Museum), if I had ever taken a look to see the area inside where the actual front entrance was or if you can even access this area at all while visiting? Anyone recall? Think of all the "CC" coinage that passed through that very front entrance.

Per "Mintmark "CC" The story of the United States Mint at Carson City Nevada by Howard Hickson,in late 1874,Congress passed an act designating the Philadelphia institution as the parent Mint, the others were denoted as full-fledged Mints. There were no longer any branch Mints.(This must have certainly felt like a huge step forward to the Carson City Mint employees in 1874!)

I am also wondering how many newly minted, bright and shiny 1874-CC Half dollars might have been spent at Nevada's very first State Fair?

I have really enjoyed reading your Post. Thank you!

deepsouth..........