Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia
Q. David Bowers
1873-CC Liberty Seated: Market Values
1873-CC Liberty Seated: Summary of Characteristics
Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of January 18, 1837 (weight and fineness); Act of March 3, 1865 (motto)
Designer of obverse: Robert Ball Hughes (after Gobrecht)
Designer of reverse: J.B. Longacre (after Hughes and Reich)
Weight and composition: 412.5 grains; .900 silver, .100 copper
Melt-down (silver value) in year minted: $1.004 Dies prepared: Obverse: 1; Reverse: 1 (left over from 1870) (This die was used earlier to coin 1870-CC dollars and is Reverse D of that year.)
Business strike mintage: 2,300; Delivery figures by month:January: 1,000; March: 1,300.
Estimated quantity melted: Most of the coins struck were probably melted at the Carson City Mint shortly after April 1873. (See text above.)
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-64: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-63: 0 (URS-0) (In addition, there were three "cornerstone" Mint State coins found in 1973; their specific numerical grades are not known but may be in the MS-60 to 63 range.)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 1 or 2 (URS-1)
Approximate population VF-20 to AU-58: 50 to 70 (URS-7)
Approximate population AG-3 to F-15: 10, to 20 (URS-5)
Characteristics of striking: The 1873-CC is usually well struck; however, some show weakness on Miss Liberty's head and chest and/or on the reverse. As is the case with other CC Mint Liberty Seated dollars, the word LIBERTY on the shield is not as prominent as on Philadelphia coins, and tended to wear away especially quickly once the coins saw circulation.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: None
Proofs:
None
Commentary
This is the most famous of all Carson City Mint Liberty Seated dollars and also the rarest.