Carson City Coins Offered in Stack’s Bowers Sale

Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ June 18 Rarities Night session features some choice issues from the Carson City Mint, such as an 1873 CC Seated Liberty dollar graded About Uncirculated 58 by Numismatic Guaranty Co.

The Nevada Mint struck Seated Liberty silver dollars from 1870 to 1873. Each has a relatively small mintage; only 2,300 people were affected in the first months of this final year of the series. Most appear to have melted, with perhaps 750 to 1,000 discards, of which about 100 are known today. Rusty Goe wrote in his book The Confident Collector of Carson City: Volume 1 that a significant percentage of the surviving population has issues that prevent them from receiving grades, but rather from obtaining “Details” or “Genuine” designations.

The catalog entry praises the dollar as attractive, explaining, “The surfaces are bright and shiny with a flashy satin texture,” while “both sides retain many sharp or striking details in the absence of any trace of climax, except the slightest. wear.” Goe writes about the history of this particular dollar in his book, and it last sold for $37,600 at Heritage’s January 2016 Florida United Numismatists auction.

1875-CC gold $10 eagle

The 1875 CC $10 Coronet Gold Eagle enjoyed a decent mintage of 7,715, with Goe estimating between 100 and 135 survivors, most with light to moderate wear and many with deficiencies. The offered example, graded by NGC as Uncirculated Details, Cleaned, shows no wear, although the center high points are soft, as is often seen due to weak minting. “Although there are few prominent markings, wispy hairlines and a curiously shiny appearance support the NGC qualifier,” the cataloger writes.

Still, Goe cites enormous demand for this show, and as “attractive specimens of the highest qualities can prove stubbornly elusive”, the proposed piece offers an excellent opportunity.

The last year of the CC-mint

1893 marks the final year of the Carson City Mint, which Goe describes as being at that time “in a vulnerable state, similar to that of a boxer in the final rounds of a fight who has received many blows, including the legs trembling and clinging.” for his dear life.

The $5 Coronet 1893-CC gold half eagle has become more common in Mint State grades in recent decades, as examples likely returned from European bank vaults. The offered half eagle is sharply struck, while “bright satin to lightly frosted surfaces are enhanced by vibrant medium warm gold colors. »

Another fine survivor from this Mint’s final year is an 1893 CC $20 Coronet gold double eagle graded MS-61 by PCGS, which features “lustrous surfaces of vivid golden honey and warm apricot-pink,” as well as than a frosted, “pleasantly smooth” finish. surfaces for grade. Goe estimates that as many as 350 remain from an initial print run of 18,402, although population ratios inflated by resubmissions are sometimes used to support a higher estimate. He advises collectors: “It is always advisable to purchase only MS-61 specimens with heavy scuffing, or excessive scratches, nicks and/or nicks, or unattractive spots of coppery-orange or coppery-burgundy, if they are greatly reduced. “, and the proposed coin avoids these problems, simply by balancing value and rarity.

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