In 1870 the Carson City Mint opened for general business, and in that year some 12,462 Liberty Seated dollars were struck in addition to coins of other denominations. During the following year 1,376 1871-CC dollars were made, followed by 3,150 1872-CC pieces and, finally, by 2,300 dollars of the 1873-CC issue. Although 1873-CC does not have the lowest mintage, it is the rarest Carson City Liberty Seated dollar. Examples are elusive in any grade, and Mint State coins are fantastic rarities. However, the Liberty Seated specialist need not despair, for in lower circulated grades pieces can be obtained in the four-figure range.

In general, Mint State Liberty Seated dollars are rare, exceptions being 1859-O and 1860-O, many hundreds of which came to light during the Treasury release of silver dollars in 1962. At the same time many thousands of circulated Liberty Seated coins were released. I recall purchasing large quantities of these, shipped to my company unsorted in Treasury Department bags. Jim Ruddy, my business partner at the time, and I were so excited that we worked nonstop for a few days - not even going out for lunch - to arrange these dollars in poker-chip fashion in piles according to date, from 1840 onward. As I recall, we had more 1847-dated dollars than any other early issue.

Today the building of a set of Liberty Seated dollars affords an interesting challenge. The 1870-S is a great rarity and typically comes on the market only when great collections are sold, and the aforementioned 1851, 1852 and 1858 are seldom seen, but if these four varieties are excluded, the building of a set from 1840 through 1873 is within the grasp of just about everyone. A nice condition to aim for is Extremely Fine to AU. There is something basically nifty about handling a large, heavy Liberty Seated silver dollar from the 1840s and wondering where it has been and what it has seen in the meantime.

Budget Recommendations: Build a date and mintmark set in F-12 to VF-20 grade. This will be a fascinating endeavor, as the varieties are quite interesting. Many issues are sleepers, even in these grades. Such dates as 1862, 1863, 1864, and 1865 are examples.

Recommendations for the Connoisseur: Start by building a type set. EF-40 is an affordable grade, except for the 1836-1839 Gobrecht design. Forming a set of dates and mintmarks of 1840-1873 dollars is a challenge. EF-40 to AU-50 is a good goal. If you have the time and money, MS-63 coins furnish a stimulating pursuit. I have never seen an MS-63 or finer collection, for many of the issues are extremely rare. Easier to find are Proofs, especially 1859-1873, although these must be selected with care.

Elite Recommendations: Aspire to build a set of MS-63 or finer coins plus (not instead of) as many Philadelphia Mint Proofs as you can find (Proofs 1840-1857 can be Proof-63 or finer, except for the restrike 1851 and 1852 in Proof-64 or finer); 1858-1873 can be Proof-65). As your set nears completion, I would love to be able to see it! No one has ever put together such a set before! You might not live long enough to see an MS-63 1846-O, 1855, 1856, 1871-CC, or 1873-CC,  to mention some condition rarities.