By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
A trivial change in the standard weight of America’s subsidiary silver coinage laid the groundwork for the creation of the 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, one of the country’s rarest coins
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In January 1873, the United States Mint produced the nation’s coinage as usual. Yet these efforts would be undermined a month later when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Mint Act of February 12, 1873, which necessitated adjustments to the weights of all coins struck after. For the Liberty Seated Dime, Quarter, and Half Dollar, the Mint was required to add a small, almost inconsequential, amount of silver. Much more significant was the elimination of the domestic silver dollar in favor of a Trade Dollar export coin, which signaled a further shift towards the gold standard.
To mark the change in tenor of the subsidiary silver coins, the Mint reprised the use of arrowheads at the date, having done so previously from 1853 to 1855, when the weight of these coins was reduced.
Before the new weight standard went into effect, the Carson City Mint had struck 12,400 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dimes. These, like the 1872-CC Liberty Seated Dimes, did not have arrows by the date and weighed 2.48 grams. The Mint Act doomed these coins, which apparently never entered circulation and were most likely melted down for recoining. All, that is, but one, which has a pedigree dating back to the 1870s and today is valued at over $4 million.
Upon delivery of new 1873 With Arrows obverse dies, Carson City coined 18,971 dimes at the new weight standard of 2.5 grams. These entered circulation, as evidenced by the number of surviving examples in low grades. Of this type, only two examples are confirmed in Mint State, both graded MS65.
1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, No Arrows
The first of the two types of 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dimes struck; only one example survived. In 2012, numismatist Greg Reynolds wrote about this coin as the Battle Born Collection was heading to market.
We also featured the No Arrows 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime in the third episode of CoinWeek: Cool Coins!
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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
Top Population: PCGS MS65 (1, 10/2024), NGC N/A (10/2024), and CAC N/A (0:0 stickered:graded, 10/2024).
- PCGS MS65 #24098412: “The John Swan Randall Collection,” Edward Cogan, May 1878, Lot 902; H.O. Granberg; “Collection of a Prominent American,” Wayte Raymond, May 1915 – $170; Rudelph Kohler; Waldo C. Newcomer, 1915; Charles M. Williams, from Newcomer via B. Max Mehl, 1933; Abe Kosoff, June 15, 1950, Lot 399 – $3,650; James C. Kelly and Sol Kaplan; Kaplan to Louis E. Eliasberg, November 7, 1950 – $4,000. As NGC MS65 #400000-001. “The Louis El Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, ” Bowers and Merena, May 1996, Lot 1198 – $550,000. ELIASBERG on insert; Waldo E. “Pat” Bolen, Jr.; As PCGS MS64. “The Waldo E. Bolen, Jr. Collection of 1873 Coinage,” Heritage Auctions, April 23, 1999, Lot 5928 – $632,500. Purchased by Jay Parrino. Upgraded 1 point. Listed for sale in undated (early 2000s) Jay Parrino catalog for $1,000,000; Bowers and Merena, July 2004 – $891,250; Rusty Goe on behalf of the Battle Born Collector; As PCGS MS65. “The Battle Born Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, August 2012, Lot 11104 – $1,880,000; “The Prestwick Collection, Part II” Heritage Auctions, January 12, 2023, Lot 3671 – $3,600,000. Unique. Latte toning throughout with isolated areas of blue/purple toning along the periphery.
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Design
Obverse:
A full-length representation of Liberty wearing long, flowing robes is seated on a rock, her head turned back to her right. Her left arm is bent and holds a pole topped by a Liberty cap. The right arm extends down at her side, hand supporting a Union shield, over which is draped a slightly curved banner displaying the word LIBERTY. The date is at the bottom below Liberty. The legend forms a partial circle at the top, inside the denticles along the raised rim, UNITED STATES on the left, and OF AMERICA on the right.
Reverse:
A vegetal wreath comprised of two branches of corn, wheat, maple leaves, and oak leaves forms a concentric circle inside a ring of denticles next to the rim. A ribbon at the bottom ties the two branches. The denomination ONE DIME is positioned in the center, each word on a separate line. The CC mintmark is below the knot of the ribbon bow inside the rim.
Edge:
The edge is reeded.
1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, No Arrows Coin Specifications
| Country: | United States of America |
| Year of Issue: | 1873 |
| Denomination: | One Dime (10 Cents USD) |
| Mintmark: | CC (Carson City) |
| Mintage: | 12,400, but only one known |
| Alloy: | .900 Silver, .100 Copper |
| Weight: | 2.48 g |
| Diameter: | 17.90 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| Quality: | Business Strike |
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1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, With Arrows
Struck after the 1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, No Arrows. One die pair is known for this, the only collectible version of the 1873-CC dime. There are two known Mint State examples, but a handful of AU coins survive to broaden this rare issue’s availability.
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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
Top Population: PCGS MS65 (1, 10/2024), NGC MS65 (1, 10/2024), and CAC MS65 (1:0 stickered:graded, 10/2024).
- PCGS MS65 CAC #24098683: Numismatic Gallery; Ben Stack; Ambassador R. Henry and Emery May Norweb, July 29, 1954; “The Norweb Collection, Part I,” October 1987, Lot 537 – $61,600; Waldo E. “Pat” Bolen, Jr.; “The Waldo E. Bolen Collection of U.S. Dimes,” Numisma ’95, Akers & RARCOA, Stack’s, November 1995, Lot 2142; “The Waldo E. Bolen Collection of U.S. Dimes,” Heritage Auctions, April 23, 1999, Lot 5927 – $71,875. As PCGS MS65. Rusty Goe, March 2003; “The Battle Born Collection,” Stack’s Bowers, August 7, 2012, Lot 11105 – $282,000. Upgraded 1 point; “The Bender Family Collectio, Part I,” Heritage Auctions, August 24, 2022, Lot 3542 – $552,000. Battle Born / Bender on insert.
- NGC MS65 #1743215-001: “The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection,” Stack’s, January 1990, Lot 153; Heritage Auctions, October 19990, Lot 541; Super, February 2003, Lot 1359; Goldberg’s Auctioneers, January 2004, Lot 1885; Bowers and Merena, March 2005, Lot 445; Heritage Auctions, June 23, 2014, Lot 30271 – $199,750; “The Prestwick Collection,” Heritage Auctions, November 11, 2021, Lot 3532 – $180,000. Dark orange and purple toning throughout. Horizontal mark in the obverse field near the rim near 1 o’clock.
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Design
Obverse:
A full-length representation of Liberty wearing long, flowing robes is seated on a rock, her head turned back to her right. Her left arm is bent and holds a pole topped by a Liberty cap. The right arm extends down at her side, hand supporting a Union shield, over which is draped a slightly curved banner displaying the word LIBERTY. The date is at the bottom below Liberty, flanked on each side by a short arrowhead. The legend forms a partial circle at the top, inside the denticles along the raised rim, UNITED STATES on the left, and OF AMERICA on the right.
Reverse:
A vegetal wreath comprised of two branches of corn, wheat, maple leaves, and oak leaves forms a concentric circle inside a ring of denticles next to the rim. A ribbon at the bottom ties the two branches. The denomination ONE DIME is positioned in the center, each word on a separate line. The CC mintmark is below the knot of the ribbon bow inside the rim.
Edge:
The edge is reeded.
1873-CC Liberty Seated Dime, With Arrows Coin Specifications
| Country: | United States of America |
| Year of Issue: | 1873 |
| Denomination: | One Dime (10 Cents USD) |
| Mintmark: | CC (Carson City) |
| Mintage: | 18,791 |
| Alloy: | .900 Silver, .100 Copper |
| Weight: | 2.5 g |
| Diameter: | 17.9 mm |
| Edge: | Reeded |
| OBV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| REV Designer: | Christian Gobrecht |
| Quality: | Business Strike |
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