1874-CC Arrows

The 1874-CC Arrows Seated Liberty Half Dollar represents one of the toughest Carson City half dollars in the entire Seated series, with a mintage of just 59,000 pieces struck during the second and final year of the arrows-at-date subtype. Those small arrowheads flanking the date were the Mint's public signal that the Coinage Act of April 1873 had nudged the half dollar's authorized weight upward to 12.50 grams, and Carson City's coiners applied the change to every working die they prepared. With silver bullion fluctuating wildly through 1874 and Comstock mining output diverting most struck halves directly into western commerce, very few of these coins ever escaped circulation. The result is a date that punches well above its mintage rank when collectors actually try to acquire one in collectible grade.

Authentication matters enormously here because the 1874 Philadelphia issue produced more than two million halves at the same weight standard, giving counterfeiters and tooling fraudsters a ready donor coin onto which a fake "CC" can be added. Examine the mintmark under magnification: a genuine Carson City punch sits cleanly above the wreath bow with sharp, parallel serifs and a consistent depth that matches the surrounding field texture, while added mintmarks show tooling marks, a raised collar of disturbed metal at the base, or a font shape that doesn't align with documented 1874-CC die positions. Confirm both arrowheads bracketing the date are fully formed and that the coin weighs the heavier 12.50-gram arrows-era standard rather than the 12.44 grams used before April 1873, since lightweight specimens are an immediate disqualifier. Wear should distribute naturally across Liberty's knee, shield, and head along with the eagle's neck feathers; uneven flatness combined with mushy rims often signals a struck counterfeit or a heavily cleaned host coin.

This issue closed out Carson City's arrows-at-date chapter, and the facility would not strike another half dollar at this weight standard again. For broader context on subtype boundaries, weight-standard transitions, and where the With Arrows years fit, see the Seated Liberty Half Dollar series history. Updated 2026-03-14.