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

Great article Loosechasnge and another great looking coin Belay.

Mark,

I can tell you are have a great time with your participation in the COTW project. Your enthusiasm comes through loud and clear in your writing.

You pointed out an important fact:

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.

Type set collectors can be greatful for the 1873-CC With Arrows half dollars.

Keep up the good work: and by all means keep having fun while you're at it.

Rusty

Tom,

You wrote:

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?

I don't know when you first visited the Nevada State Museum, but I do remember the first time I met you there in October 2006 when we had the C4OA's first Carson City Mint-Comstock seminar (the image of our group in front of the Gold Hill Hotel that appears in your spring 2011 word-search article in Curry's is from that event).

Back then, in October 2006, the front entrance to the museum faced Carson Street. When we walked through the musuem's front door immediately to the right was a small office with a half-door. This is where the friendly lady named Sonja, a museum employee, greeted visitors and collected their admission fees. This is where mint customers in the 19th century received payment for their deposits.

Immediately behind this office is where the small theater is located where visitors can watch the movie about the history of the Carson City Mint. This room once housed the mint's coin presses and is where coining operations took place.

Today ((2011), the entrance is on the north side of the museum. The small Paying Cashier's office is often closed, except when the museum has a special exhibit on display.

I hope this all brings back some memories for you Tom.

Rusty

Hi Tom and Carsonite

Here's some pictures of the front entrance (old days) of the Carson mint. In the first picture (mint building front entrance) I'm standing on the curb next to Carson Street facing southwest.


The next picture is an older snapshot (before my digital camera) of Sonja, the museum employee who greeted us and took our entrance fee.
The room she is sitting in (with the museum security officer standing behind) is the very room that the bullion deposit exchanges were made.
This room is located at the front (old) entrance and just to the right (north) as you walk in. As mentioned, the new entrance is on the north side of the building and this entrance is not used much any more.

I was lucky to get this rare picture of Sonja...it was my first visit to the museum with my sweetie Jo Ann. We remember that Sonja was very nice to us.

As you said Carsonite, just behind this room (on the north end of the old mint building) is the theater room which was the actual site of the minting room where the old coin press #1 used to sit. That press (along with the Biltz collection of "CC" coins) now resides in the south room.

I hope you enjoy these pics!

the drummer

Thanks Guys for the info regarding the where the payers window was. I thought it was the room the now has the theater in it. I noticed the half door but it was closed. I can't wait for another trip to get inside that building. Also thanks to everyone for their kind words regarding my post. Rusty I am having a blast with this and I have learned so much. It just keeps getting better. Belay, your collection of Carson City Mint coins is impressive. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Loosechange

Rusty and drummer,

I don't believe I had ever been able to look inside this small room with the half door open on the visits I have made to the "CC" Mint.
drummer, really neat pictures! Thanks! As I have said before, If only these walls could talk!

I am trying to picture the coin presses in the room where they show the movie.

Loosechange, Thank you again for another enjoyable contribution to the 111 week coin project!

deepsouth