1872-CC

The 1872-CC is the second Carson City dime, struck in 35,480 pieces and standing immediately behind the 1871-CC in the early-CC pecking order. It belongs to the Legend No Motto subtype that ran from 1860 to 1873, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arcing around Liberty's seated figure on the obverse and the wreath reverse carrying a CC mintmark above the bow knot. The coin shipped at the 2.49-gram standard set under the Coinage Act of February 21, 1853, the same weight that would change slightly with the 1873 Arrows transition the following calendar year. Mintage placed the issue near the bottom of the Seated dime range for 1872, well under the 320,000-piece 1871-S figure and a small fraction of the 2.4 million Philadelphia output.

Survival is grim and concentrates almost entirely in Good through Very Good, the band where the coin did its working life across the Nevada and California mining economy of the 1870s and 1880s before slipping back into general commerce. Mint State examples are extreme rarities, with population reports from PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, showing only a handful of certified uncirculated survivors across both services combined. Strike runs typical of early Carson City silver: a respectable obverse with periodic softness on the wreath leaves and the bow knot, and surfaces that tend to show heavy contact marks from extended circulation. Authentication is the central concern. The mintmark is the most-counterfeited element on the issue, with added-CC alterations grafted onto 1872 Philadelphia hosts surfacing periodically; check the punch depth, lateral alignment to the wreath, and font characteristics against PCGS CoinFacts plate coins. The 2.49-gram weight on a 90 percent silver planchet, the 17.9-millimeter reeded edge, and verified die markers from the published references narrow the genuine pool further.

The 1872-CC sits as a Key Date for the series, second in the early Carson City run and a coin most collectors approach only through a certified slab. Worn examples command four-figure premiums in Good and Very Good, the band where most opportunities surface, and any piece in Fine or better moves into serious territory. The classification reflects how scarce survival concentrates buyer interest at every grade level. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1873 Coinage Act, and the Carson City Mint, see the Seated Liberty Dime series history.