By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
A trivial change in the usual weight of America’s subsidiary silver coinage laid the groundwork for the creation of the 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, one of many nation’s rarest cash
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In January 1873, the United States Mint produced the nation’s coinage as ordinary. But these efforts could be undermined a month later when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Mint Act of February 12, 1873, which necessitated changes to the weights of all cash struck after. For the Liberty Seated Dime, Quarter, and Half Greenback, the Mint was required so as to add a small, nearly inconsequential, quantity of silver. Far more vital was the elimination of the home silver greenback in favor of a Commerce Greenback export coin, which signaled an extra shift in direction of the gold commonplace.
To mark the change in tenor of the subsidiary silver cash, the Mint reprised the usage of arrowheads on the date, having finished so beforehand from 1853 to 1855, when the burden of those cash was lowered.
Earlier than the brand new weight commonplace went into impact, the Carson Metropolis Mint had struck 12,400 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dimes. These, just like the 1872-CC Liberty Seated Dimes, didn’t have arrows by the date and weighed 2.48 grams. The Mint Act doomed these cash, which apparently by no means entered circulation and have been most definitely melted down for recoining. All, that’s, however one, which has a pedigree relationship again to the 1870s and at this time is valued at over $4 million.
Upon supply of recent 1873 With Arrows obverse dies, Carson Metropolis coined 18,971 dimes on the new weight commonplace of two.5 grams. These entered circulation, as evidenced by the variety of surviving examples in low grades. Of this sort, solely two examples are confirmed in Mint State, each graded MS65.
1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, No Arrows
The primary of the 2 varieties of 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dimes struck; just one instance survived. In 2012, numismatist Greg Reynolds wrote about this coin because the Battle Born Assortment was heading to market.
We additionally featured the No Arrows 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime within the third episode of CoinWeek: Cool Cash!
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Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens
Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS65 (1, 10/2024), NGC N/A (10/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 10/2024).
- PCGS MS65 #24098412: “The John Swan Randall Assortment,” Edward Cogan, Could 1878, Lot 902; H.O. Granberg; “Assortment of a Outstanding American,” Wayte Raymond, Could 1915 – $170; Rudelph Kohler; Waldo C. Newcomer, 1915; Charles M. Williams, from Newcomer through B. Max Mehl, 1933; Abe Kosoff, June 15, 1950, Lot 399 – $3,650; James C. Kelly and Sol Kaplan; Kaplan to Louis E. Eliasberg, November 7, 1950 – $4,000. As NGC MS65 #400000-001. “The Louis El Eliasberg, Sr. Assortment, ” Bowers and Merena, Could 1996, Lot 1198 – $550,000. ELIASBERG on insert; Waldo E. “Pat” Bolen, Jr.; As PCGS MS64. “The Waldo E. Bolen, Jr. Assortment of 1873 Coinage,” Heritage Auctions, April 23, 1999, Lot 5928 – $632,500. Bought by Jay Parrino. Upgraded 1 level. Listed on the market in undated (early 2000s) Jay Parrino catalog for $1,000,000; Bowers and Merena, July 2004 – $891,250; Rusty Goe on behalf of the Battle Born Collector; As PCGS MS65. “The Battle Born Assortment,” Stack’s Bowers, August 2012, Lot 11104 – $1,880,000; “The Prestwick Assortment, Half II” Heritage Auctions, January 12, 2023, Lot 3671 – $3,600,000. Distinctive. Latte firming all through with remoted areas of blue/purple firming alongside the periphery.
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Design
Obverse:
A full-length illustration of Liberty sporting lengthy, flowing robes is seated on a rock, her head turned again to her proper. Her left arm is bent and holds a pole topped by a Liberty cap. The precise arm extends down at her facet, hand supporting a Union protect, over which is draped a barely curved banner displaying the phrase LIBERTY. The date is on the backside beneath Liberty. The legend kinds a partial circle on the prime, contained in the denticles alongside the raised rim, UNITED STATES on the left, and OF AMERICA on the suitable.
Reverse:
A vegetal wreath comprised of two branches of corn, wheat, maple leaves, and oak leaves kinds a concentric circle inside a hoop of denticles subsequent to the rim. A ribbon on the backside ties the 2 branches. The denomination ONE DIME is positioned within the heart, every phrase on a separate line. The CC mintmark is beneath the knot of the ribbon bow contained in the rim.
Edge:
The sting is reeded.
1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, No Arrows Coin Specs
| Nation: | United States of America |
| 12 months of Concern: | 1873 |
| Denomination: | One Dime (10 Cents USD) |
| Mintmark: | CC (Carson Metropolis) |
| Mintage: | 12,400, however just one identified |
| Alloy: | .900 Silver, .100 Copper |
| Weight: | 2.48 g |
| Diameter: | 17.90 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike |
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1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, With Arrows
Struck after the 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, No Arrows. One die pair is understood for this, the one collectible model of the 1873-CC dime. There are two identified Mint State examples, however a handful of AU cash survive to broaden this uncommon concern’s availability.
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Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens
Prime Inhabitants: PCGS MS65 (1, 10/2024), NGC MS65 (1, 10/2024), and CAC MS65 (1:0 stickered:graded, 10/2024).
- PCGS MS65 CAC #24098683: Numismatic Gallery; Ben Stack; Ambassador R. Henry and Emery Could Norweb, July 29, 1954; “The Norweb Assortment, Half I,” October 1987, Lot 537 – $61,600; Waldo E. “Pat” Bolen, Jr.; “The Waldo E. Bolen Assortment of U.S. Dimes,” Numisma ’95, Akers & RARCOA, Stack’s, November 1995, Lot 2142; “The Waldo E. Bolen Assortment of U.S. Dimes,” Heritage Auctions, April 23, 1999, Lot 5927 – $71,875. As PCGS MS65. Rusty Goe, March 2003; “The Battle Born Assortment,” Stack’s Bowers, August 7, 2012, Lot 11105 – $282,000. Upgraded 1 level; “The Bender Household Collectio, Half I,” Heritage Auctions, August 24, 2022, Lot 3542 – $552,000. Battle Born / Bender on insert.
- NGC MS65 #1743215-001: “The James A. Stack, Sr. Assortment,” Stack’s, January 1990, Lot 153; Heritage Auctions, October 19990, Lot 541; Tremendous, February 2003, Lot 1359; Goldberg’s Auctioneers, January 2004, Lot 1885; Bowers and Merena, March 2005, Lot 445; Heritage Auctions, June 23, 2014, Lot 30271 – $199,750; “The Prestwick Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, November 11, 2021, Lot 3532 – $180,000. Darkish orange and purple firming all through. Horizontal mark within the obverse area close to the rim close to 1 o’clock.
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Design
Obverse:
A full-length illustration of Liberty sporting lengthy, flowing robes is seated on a rock, her head turned again to her proper. Her left arm is bent and holds a pole topped by a Liberty cap. The precise arm extends down at her facet, hand supporting a Union protect, over which is draped a barely curved banner displaying the phrase LIBERTY. The date is on the backside beneath Liberty, flanked on both sides by a brief arrowhead. The legend kinds a partial circle on the prime, contained in the denticles alongside the raised rim, UNITED STATES on the left, and OF AMERICA on the suitable.
Reverse:
A vegetal wreath comprised of two branches of corn, wheat, maple leaves, and oak leaves kinds a concentric circle inside a hoop of denticles subsequent to the rim. A ribbon on the backside ties the 2 branches. The denomination ONE DIME is positioned within the heart, every phrase on a separate line. The CC mintmark is beneath the knot of the ribbon bow contained in the rim.
Edge:
The sting is reeded.
1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, With Arrows Coin Specs
| Nation: | United States of America |
| 12 months of Concern: | 1873 |
| Denomination: | One Dime (10 Cents USD) |
| Mintmark: | CC (Carson Metropolis) |
| Mintage: | 18,791 |
| Alloy: | .900 Silver, .100 Copper |
| Weight: | 2.5 g |
| Diameter: | 17.9 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| High quality: | Enterprise Strike |
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