1875-CC Twenty-Cent Piece : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

Production of the new Twenty-Cent Piece denomination commenced at a striking ceremony held at the Carson City Mint on June 1, 1875. Present was Nevada Senator John Percival Jones (R), who agitated for the passing of the legislation that added the “double dime” to an already crowded roster of subsidiary coins. Jones felt that a 20-cent coin would better serve the western states, as minor coins like the nickel and cent were not produced at any branch mints.

In the coin’s first month of production at Carson City, outgoing coiner W. Hy Doana struck 3,290 pieces. His replacement, Levi Dague, struck the remaining 130,000. In total, five die marriages were deployed.

Even though the new denomination was the Nevada senator’s idea, the neighboring San Francisco Mint reached a wider service area and struck the majority of Twenty-Cent Pieces in 1875, with Carson City a distant second and the Philadelphia Mint trailing far behind.

* * *

1875-CC Twenty-Cent Piece Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Despite a significantly higher mintage than the 1875 Philadelphia strike, the 1875-CC Twenty-Cent Piece commands the highest numismatic premium for the date.

Top Population:  PCGS MS66+ (1, 11/2024), NGC MS67 (1, 11/2024), and CAC MS66 (6:0 stickered:graded 11/2024).

• NGC MS67* #3169085-001: B. Max Mehl; unknown intermediaries; Heritage Auctions, April 30, 2009, Lot 2296 – $80,500; Rusty Goe; “The Battle Born Collection”, Stack’s Bowers, August 7, 2012, Lot 11100 – $64,625. BATTLE BORN COLLECTION on insert; Heritage Auctions, April 27, 2017, Lot 4028 – $52,875. BF-4 Variety attributed by Heritage. Vivid target toning on the obverse and reverse.
• PCGS MS66+ CAC #25213671: Heritage Auctions, April 23, 2015, Lot 5008 – $51,700; “The Bender Family Collection, Part I”, Heritage Auctions, August 24, 2022, Lot 3549 – $84,000. Bender Collection on insert. BF-2 die marriage. Green, blue, and red toning along rims.
• PCGS MS66 CAC #03149964: “The Stephenville Collection”, Heritage Auctions, May 3, 2023, Lot 3078 – $52,800. BF-2 variety attributed by Heritage.
• PCGS MS66 CAC #21070657: Rusty Goe to Eugene Gardner, May 2003; “The Eugene H. Gardner Collection. Heritage Auctions, June 2014, Lot 30338 – $49.937.50; “The Prestwick Collection”, Heritage Auctions, November 11, 2021, Lot 3541 – $84,000. Aquamarine, green, and aubergine toning on both sides.
• PCGS MS66 #35448117: As PCGS MS65 CAC #5112342. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, January 25, 2018, Lot 142 – $17,037.50. As PCGS MS66 #35448117. Legend Rare Coin Auctions, September 27, 2018, Lot 440 – $29,375. Regraded, upgraded one point.
• NGC MS66 #3898677-001: Heritage Auctions, June 4, 2015, Lot 3884 – $21,150. BF-2. Blue, aubergine, and gold rim toning.
• PCGS MS66 #25223790: Stack’s Bowers, March 2015, Lot 6043 – $25,850; Stack’s Bowers, May 31, 2015, Lot 20325 – Passed; Heritage Auctions, August 12, 2015, Lot 4007 – $32,312.50.
• PCGS MS66 #25378624: Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2014, Lot 5206 – $48,468.75. Brilliant.
• NGC MS66 CAC #3318874-008: Stack’s Bowers, November 6, 2013, Lot 2063 – $42,500 Reserve Not Met. Aquamarine toning.
• PCGS MS66 #6570410: Heritage Auctions, July 31, 2008, Lot 1624 – $63,250; “The Joseph C. Thomas Collection, Part Two”, Heritage Auctions, April 2009, Lot 2295 – $40,250; Heritage Auctions, August 12, 2011, Lot 7094 – $48,875; “The Jim O’Neal Collection of U.S. Type, Part One”, Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2014, Lot 5576 – $47,000. Toned.
• PCGS MS65 CAC #14094649: Marketed by Legend Numismatics in April 2009 Coin World Ad for $45,000. Toned.
• NGC MS65 #695366-010: Waste Raymond, February 1947, Lot 464; “John Jay Pittman Collection”, David Akers, October 1997, Lot 768; Heritage Auctions, March 6, 2008, Lot 466 – $20,700. Dark target toned obverse.

* * *

Coin Specifications

* * *