Seldom Seen Selections: 1871-CC Gem Seated Liberty Dime, The Only Certified Specimen Example

Heritage Auctions - Dimes were struck for the first time at the Carson City Mint in 1871, when a modest mintage of 20,100 pieces was accomplished. Because there was no interest in collecting branch mint issues at that time, it is unlikely that any high-quality examples were saved for numismatic purposes. As a result, only a few Mint State coins survive today and the 1871-CC is one of the major keys to the Seated dime series.



On the PCGS CoinFacts website, Ron Guth notes:



Our April 27-May 2 Central States Signature auction will feature the Gardner example Ron Guth refers to above, currently certified as SP65 NGC, the only coin recognized as a Specimen strike by either of the leading grading services. It is likely this piece was the coin offered to Stack's by B.G. Johnson in a July 21, 1943-dated invoice, where it was described as, "1871-CC Mint, Bril. proof and of the most excessive rarity in this condition." The invoice is marked "AUG 27 PAID."

Prominent collector James Stack (no relation to the coin firm, but a good customer of theirs) acquired the coin at an early date and preserved it in his collection, which was only dispersed long after his death in several sales by the Stack's firm. The 1871-CC dime was offered in their January 1990 offering as lot 146:

"1871'CC' Gem Brilliant Uncirculated. A wholly prooflike example, sharply struck and cameolike. In fact, without looking for the mintmark, one could easily be lulled into thinking it a Proof! The coin has beautiful light to medium iridescent toning. This cataloguer described the example in our Holmes Sale in 1960 (the only other Mint State example known) and in his opinion, the present coin is more beautiful. A great rarity in extraordinary condition, all of the ingredients for a record price."

In fact, the uncertified James A. Stack coin did realize a record price for the time (and in a notably weak coin market overall, which had largely tanked in the second half of 1989), bringing in a healthy $50,600. It has changed hands infrequently since then, most notably appearing in the fabulous collection of Gene Gardner in October 2014, as noted by Ron Guth above.

This coin is a spectacular Gem with incredible eye appeal to match its highest available technical quality and absolute rarity. The reflective surfaces are prooflike throughout — a trait often seen on the few Mint State 1871-CC dimes known — and highly reflective under a layer of lovely pink and blue patina on both sides. The strike is quite sharp on all details front and back, and even a loupe reveals no mentionable distractions. We expect intense competition from series specialists when this lot is called.