US Coins

Researchers seek help on 1875-CC 20-cent varieties

By Paul Gilkes

Published: Mar 20, 2016, 5 AM

The High Close CC, Reverse B for 1875-CC Seated Liberty 20-cent coins is considered common for the Brunner-Frost 2 and BF-3 varieties.

Close-up photo courtesy of John Frost; background photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

On the BF-1, the Low Close CC#1 has the first C below the second arrow barb, with both Cs of the Mint mark tilted to the right.

Image courtesy of John Frost.

The Wide CC, Reverse C of 1875-CC Seated Liberty 20-cent coin has the first C High and further left than then on BF-2 and BF-3, with the second C to the right.

Image courtesy of John Frost.

The Low Close CC#2, Reverse D, BF-5, also has first C below the second arrow barb, but the first C is tilted right, and the second C, tilted left.

The co-authors of Double Dimes: The United States Twenty-Cent Piece, Lane J. Brunner and John M. Frost, are seeking collector input to determine the rarity for two die marriages of 1875-CC Seated Liberty 20-cent coins.

In the spring issue of The Gobrecht Journal, the printed periodical of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, Frost details the known die marriages with reverses differentiated based on the position of the letters of the CC Mint mark of the Carson City Mint.

The researchers describe the four reverse dies, listed here in terms of frequency of their appearance on the five die marriages, from most common to most rare:

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High Close CC, Reverse B: The top of the first C of the CC Mint mark is positioned to the left of the second arrow barb. This die is responsible for nearly 75 percent of extant 1875-CC 20-cent coins. Found on the die marriages BF-2 and BF-3.

Wide CC, Reverse C: The first C of the Mint mark is high and further left than the first C on the Reverse B die, with the second C further to the right than on the B reverse. This die is common, though less so than the Reverse B, with nearly 25 percent of known examples. Used with the die marriage BF-4.

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Low Close CC, Reverse A: The first C of the Mint mark is positioned below the second arrow barb and both C's tilt to the right. Rare and first reported in 2013. Study of obverse die cracks indicates that it was the first reverse die used, hence, the reverse is designated as Reverse A. Used on the die marriage BF-1.

Low Close CC, Reverse D: The first C of the Mint mark is positioned below the second arrow barb, with the first C tilted right and the second C tilted to the left. Rarest of the reverse dies. Used with the BF-5 die marriage.

Frost and Brunner are asking collectors with 1875-CC 20-cent coins to identify which die marriage they have and report to the authors at info@doubledimes.com so a census as to rarity of the Low Close CC coins can be made.