1872-CC 10C N1 Certification #47978749, PCGS #4657

Charles Morgan

The 1872-CC Liberty Seated Dime

The Carson City Mint began operation in 1870 but did not strike dimes until the following year, ultimately coining them in only eight of its 19 active years (1871–1878). Output during the facility’s first six years was extremely meager. Although the 1872-CC Liberty Seated Dime (#4657) boasted the largest mintage of this early period at 35,480 coins, that figure is dwarfed by the massive output of over 4.6 million dimes struck just three years later in 1875. Furthermore, because of the vast distance separating Nevada from collectors back East, almost no 1872-CC dimes were saved at the time of issue.

A single die marriage produced the entire 1872-CC run, utilizing a reverse die shared across all CC dimes from 1871 to 1874. From this modest output, only one Mint State example survives today. While every other CC dime date is known by at least two uncirculated specimens, the 1872-CC stands alone—a level of condition rarity matched only by the legendary, unique 1873-CC No Arrows dime. The drop-off in preservation is so severe that after this single MS example, only a handful of examples are known in the About Uncirculated grade range.

Traced back to the early 1940s, the unique Mint State coin was acquired by Rusty Goe for the Battle Born Collection when it was graded PCGS MS61, but the coin has since been reassessed and upgraded to PCGS MS63. Later featured in the prestigious Eugene Gardner Collection, this historic piece last sold at auction for nearly half a million dollars. It now resides in the Dell Loy Hansen Collection.

The remaining handful of About Uncirculated pieces exhibit the subdued luster and natural surface tarnish typical of lightly circulated vintage silver. While the toned coin from the Bender Collection displays attractive patches of color, it lacks the visual presence of the Battle Born specimen. Still, it remains the consensus choice for second-finest known.

* * *