1873-CC Liberty Seated Silver Dollar. EF-40 (PCGS).A well balanced EF to represent this classic rarity among Carson City Mint silver dollars. Predominantly silver gray surfaces exhibit outlines of warmer olive-russet to many of the devices, especially on the reverse. Overall detail is suitably bold for the assigned grade and, while a bit muted in appearance, both sides are generally smooth in appearance apart from a minor scuff in the left reverse field. Although the 1871-CC has a lower mintage (1,376 vs. 2,300 pieces), the final year 1873-CC is the rarest of the four Carson City Mint issues in the Liberty Seated dollar series. The entire mintage was achieved in just deliveries: 1,000 coins in January and 1,300 pieces in February. The Act of February 12, 1873 abolished the standard silver dollar, leading most numismatists to conjecture that the vast majority of 1873-CC dollars were melted in the Carson City Mint before they had been paid out to bullion depositors. Alternatively, most of the mintage may have been used in international trade, likely with the Orient, the destination for many Liberty Seated dollars struck during the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. Whatever the case, few 1873-CC silver dollars were released, remained stateside, or otherwise managed to survive to the present day. A significant offering, this piece will appeal to advanced specialists in Liberty Seated dollars and Carson City Mint coinage alike.
