1872-CC

The 1872-CC is the third Carson City quarter, struck in a reported mintage of 22,850 pieces during the Nevada mint's third full year of operation. The output is the highest of the four CC Seated Quarter dates and roughly double the 1871-CC figure, but it remains a small absolute number that places the issue firmly in Key Date territory. Christian Gobrecht's seated obverse and the heraldic eagle reverse appear in the standard With Motto form, with the CC mintmark below the eagle and the 6.22 gram planchet weight that governed quarter production from 1853 through the early 1873 transition. Production ran through the year without the dramatic mid-year design change that would mark 1873.

Survivors tend to grade lower than the 1871-CC and 1870-CC on average, since the slightly larger mintage meant more pieces entered hard commerce. The bulk of confirmed 1872-CC quarters today fall in Good through Fine, with Very Fine examples scarcer and Extremely Fine pieces uncommon. Mint State coins exist in small numbers and concentrate at the lower end of the Mint State range, typically MS61 through MS63; truly choice gem examples are extreme rarities. Authentication discipline matters as much here as for the other CC dates of the era, since altered Philadelphia 1872 coins with added CC mintmarks have circulated in the marketplace. Verify the position of the CC letters relative to the eagle's lower tail feathers, the spacing between the two C's, and the overall punch depth before trusting any uncertified offering.

The 1872-CC sits in the lowest tier of the four CC Seated Quarter Key Dates by relative scarcity, with prices roughly half of the 1871-CC at comparable grades and a fraction of the 1870-CC and 1873-CC No Arrows figures. That positioning makes it the practical entry point into the CC set for collectors who do not yet have the budget for the apex pieces. Buy in PCGS or NGC holders, prioritize problem-free coins over higher technical grades on damaged or cleaned examples, and expect to pay solid four figures for an honest Very Fine. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1873 Coinage Act, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.