1871-CC Liberty Seated Silver Dollar. AU-55 (NGC).Offered is a remarkably sharp, quite well preserved example of this key date issue among Carson City Mint silver dollars. Lightly and evenly toned in smoky gold and silver-rose patina, both sides exhibit a uniform bright satin texture. The overall appearance is smooth, remarkably so for a circulated survivor of this often heavily abraded, if not outright impaired issue. This coin will be a significant find for the advanced collector specializing in Liberty Seated dollars or the coinage of the Carson City Mint.The 1871-CC is the second of only four Liberty Seated dollar issues struck at the Carson City Mint. With only 1,376 pieces produced it has the lowest mintage in this highly select group, although it is not the rarest. The final year 1873-CC is more elusive due to a large number of the 2,300 coins struck having been melted after the Act of February 12, 1873 abolished the standard silver dollar. Survivors of the 1871-CC are certainly rare in their own right, of course, and Carson City Mint expert Rusty Goe provided an estimate of just 100 to 120 coins extant in all grades in his commentary in our August 2012 sale of the Battle Born Collection, a sale that still echoes in the halls of numismatics. With most survivors well worn, and only a handful in Mint State, this Choice AU would serve as a highlight in any numismatic cabinet.
