1874-CC T$1 (Regular Strike)

Series: Trade Dollars 1873-1878

PCGS MS66

PCGS MS66

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PCGS MS65

PCGS MS65

PCGS MS65

PCGS MS65

PCGS #:
7035
Designer:
William Barber
Edge:
Reeded
Diameter:
38.10 millimeters
Weight:
27.20 grams
Mintage:
1,373,200
Mint:
Carson City
Metal:
90% Silver, 10% Copper
Major Varieties

Minor Varieties

Current Auctions - PCGS Graded
Current Auctions - NGC Graded
For Sale Now at Collectors Corner - PCGS Graded
For Sale Now at Collectors Corner - NGC Graded

Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More

Grades Survival
Estimate
Numismatic
Rarity
Relative Rarity
By Type
Relative Rarity
By Series
All Grades 1,000 R-5.0 6 / 18 TIE 6 / 18 TIE
60 or Better 200 R-7.0 9 / 18 9 / 18
65 or Better 4 R-9.8 5 / 18 TIE 5 / 18 TIE
Survival Estimate
All Grades 1,000
60 or Better 200
65 or Better 4
Numismatic Rarity
All Grades R-5.0
60 or Better R-7.0
65 or Better R-9.8
Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type
All Grades 6 / 18 TIE
60 or Better 9 / 18
65 or Better 5 / 18 TIE
Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series
All Grades 6 / 18 TIE
60 or Better 9 / 18
65 or Better 5 / 18 TIE

Condition Census What Is This?

Pos Grade Image Pedigree and History
1 MS66 PCGS grade  
	PCGS #7035 (MS) 66

Black Cat Collection (PCGS Set Registry)

2 MS65 PCGS grade

Superior 9/1988:3238 - A.J. Vanderbilt Collection - Stack's/Bowers 3/2018:10287, $52,800 - Legend Rare Coin Auctions 9/2019:348, not sold - Heritage 1/2020:4247

2 MS65 PCGS grade MS65 PCGS grade
2 MS65 PCGS grade

Bowers and Merena 3/2003:4384 - Rusty Goe, 3/2003 - Battle Born Collection - Stack's/Bowers 8/2012:11072, $31,725. The plate coin for the issue in the 1993 book Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia, Volume One by Q. David Bowers.

5 MS64+ PCGS grade  
	PCGS #7035 (MS) 64+

Heritage 1/2017:5703, $30,550

5 MS64+ PCGS grade
7 MS64 PCGS grade MS64 PCGS grade
7 MS64 PCGS grade PCGS #7035 (MS)     64
7 MS64 PCGS grade
7 MS64 PCGS grade
 
	PCGS #7035 (MS) 66 
#1 MS66 PCGS grade

Black Cat Collection (PCGS Set Registry)

#2 MS65 PCGS grade

Superior 9/1988:3238 - A.J. Vanderbilt Collection - Stack's/Bowers 3/2018:10287, $52,800 - Legend Rare Coin Auctions 9/2019:348, not sold - Heritage 1/2020:4247

MS65 PCGS grade #2 MS65 PCGS grade
#2 MS65 PCGS grade

Bowers and Merena 3/2003:4384 - Rusty Goe, 3/2003 - Battle Born Collection - Stack's/Bowers 8/2012:11072, $31,725. The plate coin for the issue in the 1993 book Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia, Volume One by Q. David Bowers.

 
	PCGS #7035 (MS) 64+ 
#5 MS64+ PCGS grade

Heritage 1/2017:5703, $30,550

#5 MS64+ PCGS grade
MS64 PCGS grade #7 MS64 PCGS grade
PCGS #7035 (MS)     64 #7 MS64 PCGS grade
#7 MS64 PCGS grade
#7 MS64 PCGS grade
Q. David Bowers: The following narrative, with minor editing, is from my "Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States: A Complete Encyclopedia" (Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers and Merena Galleries, Inc., 1993).

Coinage Context

Production notes: Mintage of the 1874-CC trade dollar got off to a slow start, with just 9,600 pieces struck in January. Monthly production figures (given in the Summary of Characteristics) stayed below the 100,000 mark until August, when 145,500 were made. The peak of production was in December, when some 240,000 pieces left the press. When figures were totaled, 1,373,200 were struck for the year.

Most of the mintage went to China, where, apparently, many were saved from the melting pot and, instead, were subjected to the imprint of chop-markers. 1874-CC trade dollars were a familiar sight in Oriental commerce as late as the 1940s (as were most other trade dollar varieties of relatively high mintage).

Numismatic Information

Circulated grades: In worn grades the 1874-CC is scarce, but the dedicated collector will experience no difficulty in readily locating a nice example. However, in a letter to me in 1992, Michael D. Michel stated that he had surveyed auction appearances over the preceding five years, and encountered only one 1874-CC trade dollar in AU grade. Presumably, most pieces that changed hands did so outside of the auction room.

Chopmarked 1874-CC dollars are aplenty and always have been. The issue ranks as the most available of all chopmarked Carson City trade dollars and fourth most available of all chop marked trade dollars.

Mint State grades: The 1874-CC is one of the rarest of all trade dollars in high Mint State grades (MS-64 or better); very few are known to exist. This because of the familiar syndrome: collectors did not save mintmarks, trade dollars were not in favor with numismatists, and, in any event, most coins were exported. I have never seen an MS-65 coin, and I am not certain that one exists as this level. MS-64 examples are rarities, and an estimated 10 to 20 survive.

In MS-63 the 1874-CC is quite rare; I estimate that about 30 to 50 exist. At the MS-60 to 62 level probably about 150 to 250 survive, including an estimated 15 from a hoard owned by World-Wide Coin Investments in the 1970s. At all Mint State levels.
coins often have somewhat satiny, almost "greasy" lustre.

Varieties:

OBVERSE TYPE I: RIBBON ENDS POINT LEFT, 1873-1876

REVERSE TYPE I: BERRY BELOW CLAW, 1873-1876

Circulation strikes: Varieties of mintmark sizes have been chronicled as follows:

1. Micro cc: Breen-5786. Mintmark. 74 mm high; .75 mm spacing between C's. Rare.
2. Minute CC: Mintmark .84 mm high; .4 mm spacing between C's.
3. Minute CC: Mintmark .9 mm high; .75 mm spacing between C's.
4. Medium CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .55 mm spacing between C's. Dot on 8 of date on obverse.
5. Medium CC: Mintmark 1.1 mm high; .6 mm spacing between C's. Slight doubled die on reverse.
6. Tall CC: Mintmark 1.17 mm high; .6 mm spacing between C's.

Dies prepared: Obverse: 17+; Reverse: 17+. According to R.W. Julian, 10 dies (five pairs?) were shipped before April, six more pairs on June 19th, and six additional pairs on July 17th. Other quantities and shipment dates are unknown. (The 18 pairs shipped on November 12, 1874 were probably for 1875-CC.)

Circulation strike mintage: 1,373,200. Delivery figures by month: January: 9,600; February: 38,100; March: 52,500; April: 48,500; May: 65,500; June: 71,000; July: 76,500; August: 145,500; September: 209,000; October: 201,000; November: 216,000; December: 240,000. If 17 die pairs made the total, this averages to 80,776 per die-pair; a big improvement over 1873-CC, consistent with later CC dates.

Characteristics of striking: Some are lightly or irregularly struck in areas, particularly on the eagle's sinister leg and claws and at the top of the eagle's dexter wing. "Notorious for weakly struck and oddly struck examples. Usually has subdued lustre similar to the New Orleans Mint Morgan dollars of 1895-97" - Bruce Amspacher.

Known hoards of Mint State coins: In the 1970s World-Wide Coin Investments distributed a group of about 15 pieces.

Rarity with original Chinese chopmark(s): The 1874-CC is the most plentiful Carson City Mint chopmarked trade dollar, and fourth most common of all chopmarked trade dollars.

Commentary

The 1874-CC is rare in high Mint State grades. Most were shipped to the China.