The 1871-CC Liberty Seated Dime (Buy on eBay) represented the first time that the denomination was struck at the Carson City Mint. The facility had opened in the previous year as the second branch mint in the western part of the United States. In the first year of operation, production had taken place for gold coins and larger silver coins.
The total output of dimes from the Carson City Mint during the first few years was very limited. The 1871-CC dime had a mintage of only 20,100 pieces. As these were much needed in commerce, the whole mintage immediately went into circulation where they remained for many years. As a result, virtually all of the surviving population is found in well-circulated grades. It is estimated that just 50 to 100 examples of the coin exist in any condition.
Considered to be one of the keys to the series, the 1871-CC Liberty Seated Dime is a challenging issue to find in problem free condition and is exceeding rare in mint state. An example graded NGC MS 62 realized $46,000 at auction in July 2009.
Coin Specifications
- Designer: Christian Gobrecht
- Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Weight: 2.49 grams
- Diameter: 17.9 mm
- Edge: Reeded
