1874-CC Arrows

The 1874-CC Arrows is the final Carson City dime ever produced and the lowest reported delivery in the brief Carson City dime run that began in 1871. The mint struck 10,817 pieces under the post-Coinage-Act standard of 2.50 grams, with small horizontal arrows flanking the date to mark the 1873 weight change. After this calendar year, no further dimes left Carson City presses, and the facility's silver work shifted entirely toward quarters, halves, and dollars before the mint closed for coinage operations in 1885. The coin sits in the brief 1873-1874 Legend with Arrows subtype, carrying the "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" obverse legend introduced in 1860 and a wreath reverse with the CC mintmark seated above the bow knot. Weight runs on a 90 percent silver planchet at the 17.9-millimeter reeded-edge specification.

Survival is among the thinnest of any Seated Dime issue, with most certified examples grading Good through Very Good where the coin did its working life in Nevada and California commerce during the silver-mining decade that followed. Higher grades turn extraordinarily scarce, and PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, populations show only a handful of certified Mint State coins across both services combined, with even Extremely Fine pieces requiring patience to locate. Strike quality runs typical of late Carson City silver work, with periodic softness on the wreath leaves and the lower obverse legend on later die states. Authentication is the central concern. Added-CC mintmark fakes grafted onto 1874 Philadelphia Arrows host coins surface periodically and miss the proper punch depth, the lateral alignment relative to the wreath ribbon, and the font characteristics documented on PCGS CoinFacts plate coins. The 2.50-gram weight, the reeded edge, the small horizontal arrows flanking the date, and verified die markers narrow the genuine pool further; serious purchases require PCGS or NGC certification.

The 1874-CC Arrows is a major Key Date for the Seated Dime series and the apex obtainable Carson City dime, since the 1873-CC No Arrows is unique. Worn examples in Good and Very Good command four-figure premiums, with Fine and better grades moving into five-figure territory and Mint State pieces operating in trophy-coin auction territory when they appear. The classification matches the market reality across 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.