1874-CC $20 MS60 Certification #43545898, PCGS #8971

David Akers (1975/88)

The 1874-CC is only moderately scarce as a date and the colllector who just wants an example of this date and is not particularly fussy about the grade should have little trouble locating one. However, almost the entire popualtion of 1874-CC twenties grades EF or less and in AU condition the date is surprisingly scarce. In mint state, the 1874-CC is rare and in choice or gem Unc. the date is little short of unobtainable. I have personally never seen a gem and can recall only a single specimen that I would grade "choice." In my view, this issue, because of its closeness in date and mintage to the common 1875-CC, is unappreciated and underrated.

This issue is one of the many cases in point where the mintage doesn't begin to tell the story. A comparison of the mintage of the 1874-CC and 1875-CC would lead one to believe that they are about equal in rarity. If there were any advantage of one over the other it would be on the side of the 1875-CC which has a slightly lower mintage. However, the reality of the situation is that the 1874-CC is rare in Unc. while the 1875-CC is common. Furthermore, dates such as the 1877-CC, 1882-CC, 1883-CC, 1884-CC, 1889-CC, 1890-CC, 1892-CC and 1893-CC all have lower mintages than the 1874-CC (in some cases much lower mintages0 and yet are nowhere near as rare as the 1874-CC in full mint state.