1876 (CC) Dime Die Trial - J-1453b

Coin Details

Auction Record

$45,600 MS64 04-25-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This die trial bears the coveted CC mintmark of the Carson City Mint, one of the most romanticized facilities in American coinage history. The Carson City Mint operated from 1870 to 1893 in Nevada, established primarily to convert the vast silver output of the Comstock Lode into federal coinage. The obverse features the Seated Liberty design with the legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" around the border and thirteen stars, while the reverse displays the denomination within a wreath, with the CC mintmark below. Dime production at Carson City was always modest compared to Philadelphia and San Francisco — the 1876-CC dime had a mintage of only 8,270,000 pieces in silver, though this was actually one of the higher CC dime mintages. A die trial from Carson City is exceptionally significant because the branch mint produced far fewer test pieces than Philadelphia, and most that were made have not survived. The Judd-1453b designation links this die trial to the broader pattern and trial piece catalog, though its primary importance lies in its Carson City provenance. Die trials from western branch mints are far rarer than their Philadelphia counterparts because the branch mints focused almost exclusively on production coinage and had less incentive to preserve test pieces for the numismatic record.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Carson City Mint die trials of any denomination are exceptionally scarce; CC dime die trials may be unique or known in only two to three specimens.

Cross References

Judd-1453b