1871-CC Seated Liberty Silver Half Dollar

DESCRIPTION & ANALYSIS

The 1871 Carson City Mint silver dollar is a rare coin in any grade, with an estimated 100 survivors overall. This is no surprise, given its very small mintage. Clearly, the large (by comparison) production of 1870 greatly reduced the need for additional dollars this year. There was never a substantial need for these coins, judging by the small mintages of the two following years, but circulate they did. Most survivors are well worn and/or damaged, and readers are urged to study the population of Details graded pieces by clicking on the block letter D for this issue in the NGC Census. The few Mint State coins known are all prooflike to some degree, as the dies didn't wear enough to lose their initial polish. Some weakness of strike is seen on nearly all examples, this being most evident in the shallowness of the word LIBERTY. This feature is directly opposite the upper part of the eagle's right wing, which is another area of weakness. This technical deficiency is seen in many coins of the type from all three mints, but Carson City seems to have had the most difficulty in bringing up LIBERTY across several denominations. Just a single pair of dies was employed for this issue, the reverse die being one that had been used previously to coin 1870-CC dollars. The obverse exhibits a misplace numeral 1 within the denticles below the 7 of the date, but as all 1871-CC silver dollars are from this single die there is no variety interest.