1876-CC

Carson City struck 4,944,000 quarters in 1876, by far the largest CC output on the denomination across the mint's nine-year run of producing the coin. The combination of Centennial-year demand and the western mint's expanding silver capacity drove a production figure more than thirty-five times the size of the 1875-CC mintage, and the issue stands as the only Carson City quarter to clear the four-million mark. Design remained the standard With Motto form first established in 1866: the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the banner above the eagle, the CC mintmark below, no arrows at the date, and the 6.25-gram weight standard from the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873. The Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia anchored the year's broader commerce; the increased subsidiary-silver demand reached the western economy through the same banking channels.

What collectors look for on the issue starts with the mintmark and the strike. The CC mintmark should read cleanly with both letters fully formed and original to the die; smearing or evidence of recutting warrants careful examination, since Carson City coins remain a target for mintmark addition to common-date Philadelphia hosts. Strike quality on the 1876-CC runs above the typical Carson City standard for the period, helped by fresher die conditions across the high-volume year, though the central shield and the eagle's right leg can still show some softness on late-die-state pieces. The drapery at Liberty's elbow should be cleanly defined; the obverse stars should read with full radial lines on early-die-state coins. A genuine planchet falls within tolerance of 6.25 grams.

Population data from PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, shows the issue is the most obtainable CC quarter in all circulated grades and reasonably available in lower Mint State. The MS64 and above tier still thins, and gem coins command firm premiums because the volume of CC production did not translate into long-term Mint State survival. For a CC mintmark collector starting on the series, the 1876-CC is the natural entry point and the only CC quarter with a real chance of being obtained in problem-free About Uncirculated at moderate cost. Buy certified for any meaningful purchase. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design and the series' late-1870s production, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.