1877 Twenty-Cent Piece : History & Value

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

The 1877 Liberty Seated Twenty Cent piece is a Proof-only situation, of which the United States Mint in Philadelphia produced simply 510 examples. Of these 510, it’s believed that 160 items had been melted after going unsold, leaving the brand new distribution of the difficulty at a paltry 350 cash. Of their guide Double Dimes: The US Twenty-Cent Piece (2014, with updates in subsequent years), authors Lane J. Brunner and John M. Frost determine just one die marriage (BF-1) for this situation, whereby the information of the numerals “77” within the date on the obverse lengthen barely larger than the “8”, which is itself set barely larger than the “1”.

* * *

1877 Liberty Seated Twenty Cent Piece Market Information and Noteworthy Specimens

Nearly all of the difficulty was struck with an excellent end. Over time, this end often grew to become muted, until correctly saved or conserved. Darkish firming can also be typical given the age of this situation. Unique surfaces with sturdy mirrors, few to no hairlines, and engaging eye enchantment will command sturdy premiums over typical examples.

The distribution of grades at each PCGS and NGC is basically constant, with most examples of the date grading out within the Proof 63 to 64 vary. There have been fewer than 10 grading occasions of an 1877 Twenty Cent Piece with Deep Cameo/Extremely Cameo. Planchet flaws to the proper of Liberty on the obverse are obvious on a number of high-grade examples.

In CoinWeek’s Cool Cash! Episode 10 (video beneath), coin supplier Jack Beymer recalled a Lengthy Seaside coin present “a few years in the past” the place he had an 1877 in EF situation on show. A person he acknowledged as a coin supplier approached him and requested if he may take it to indicate to ANACS to see if it was actual. Beymer let the supplier take the coin and he by no means got here again with it.

Apparently, quite a lot of these had been bought by a person intent on working up the market. Throughout this era, 1877 Twenty Cent Items had been promoting for sturdy costs that had been almost double the market ranges for the Proof-only 1878. Costs have since returned to regular. Maybe the speculator gave up or ran out of cash.

High Inhabitants: PCGS PR67+CAM (1, 2/2025). NGC PF67UCAM (1, 2/2025). CACG PR67DCAM (1:0 stickered:graded, 2/2025).

• PCGS PR-66DCAM #84752701: Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2018, Lot 4813 – $57,600. Good.
• NGC PF-65UCAM #4240149-003: Heritage Auctions, August 14, 2019, Lot 3729 – $19,800; Heritage Auctions, February 20, 2020, Lot 3046 – $17,400. Blue and gold firming across the periphery. Distinctive blue firming sample on obverse with blue at stars 3 and 4, star 6 to the 7 within the date, and stars 8 to 13.
• NGC PF-67*CAM #3168413-008: Heritage Auctions, June 26, 2008, Lot 809 – $37,375. Cobalt blue firming round periphery of the obverse with rose coloured firming on the inside. Rust-colored firming on the periphery of the reverse with gold inside.
• NGC PF-67*CAM #3508344-003: Heritage Auctions, April 19, 2012, Lot 5080 – $20,125. Good.
• PCGS PR-66CAM #37385832: Heritage Auctions, June 6, 2019, Lot 3074 – $29,412. Toned on the obverse and reverse. Reverse has swirling firming of inexperienced, purple, and blue, which seems like hearth surrounding the eagle.
• NGC PF-66CAM #1627875-003: Heritage Auctions, August 2010, Lot 3101 – $14,950; “The E.B. Strickland Assortment”, Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2018, Lot 4812 – $31,200. Good. 
• PCGS PR-66CAM #25214202: Heritage Auctions, Lot 5009 – $19,975.
• NGC PF-66*CAM CAC #2037607-111: Colonel H.R. Inexperienced Property to Eric P. Newman / Burdette Johnson (St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.), circa 1940 – $22.50; Heritage Auctions, November 15, 2013, Lot 33326 – $27,025. Eric P. Newman Assortment novelty insert. Plate coin on NGC Coin Explorer. Planchet flaws to the proper of the knee.
• NGC PF-66CAM #1633921-001: Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2003, Lot 6616 – $10,925; Heritage Auctions, April 27, 2006, Lot 1459 – $14,950; Heritage Auctions, September 23, 2010, Lot 3899 – $11,500. Good. Planchet flaw close to knee in discipline. Inactive certification quantity.
• NGC PF-66CAM #1627875-003: Heritage Auctions, April 27, 2006, Lot 1459 – $14,950; Heritage Auctions, August 11, 2010, Lot 3101 – $14,950; “The Zack Fluor Assortment”, Heritage Auctions, August 9, 2013, Lot 5573 – $17,037.50. Good.
• NGC PF-66CAM #1727319-005: “The Dr. James Olsen Assortment”, Heritage Auctions, January 10, 2013, Lot 5770 – $14,100. Good. 
• NGC PF-66CAM #1785865-007: Heritage Auctions, August 11, 2010, Lot 3102 – $11,500. Toned throughout. Blue rim firming at 12-3 o’clock and 7-9 o’clock.
• NGC PF-66CAM #1854497-002: Heritage Auctions, August 9, 2007, Lot 1644 – $18,400. Darkly toned.

• PCGS PR-63CAM CAC #16328239: Featured on Cool Cash!, Episode #10 (2012). Coin supplier Jack Beymer confirmed the coin, which he claimed he paid $6,000 for it.
• NGC PF-67 #429170-001: Heritage Auctions, July 28, 2005, Lot 10171 – $20,700; “Joseph C. Thomas Assortment, Half Two”, Heritage Auctions, April 30, 2009, Lot 2305 – $20,700; Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2012, Lot 3164 – $17,250. Darkly toned in inexperienced, purple, and orange on the obverse and reverse.
• NGC PF-67 #684140-018: Heritage Auctions, January 7, 2010, Lot 2499 – $18,515; Heritage Auctions, August 11, 2010, Lot 3100 – $18,400; “The Greensboro Assortment, Half V”, Heritage Auctions, August 12, 2015, Lot 4010 – $15,275. Blue, rose, and inexperienced firming.
• NGC PF-66+ #2706273-002: Heritage Auctions, July 6, 2017, Lot 3063 – $18,800. Maroon firming on reverse. Planchet defect to the proper of Liberty’s knee.
• PCGS PR-66 #46222945: “Assortment of James Allaire Millholland, 1842-1911”, Stack’s Bowers, March 21, 2023, Lot 3004 – $16,800. Superbly-toned instance, darkish mark on eagle’s wing extending into the sector. Small spot to the left of star 11 is unlucky.

* * *

Coin Specs

* * *