Jeff Ambio: The obverse is readily identifiable by a heavy die scratch from the left base of the rock that extends into the bottom of the shield before terminating at the junction of vertical line 9 and the scroll upon which the word LIBERTY is inscribed. The reverse is the same that the Carson City Mint used to strike all known 1870-CC, 1871-CC and 1873-CC Arrows quarters.

Rusty Goe: For some reason, reported mintage figures for some denominations struck at the Carson City Mint between 1870 and 1872 have created a jigsaw puzzle. For the 1872-CC quarter, for example, the number of manufactured pieces as reported by the Bureau of the Mint since 1887 is 9,100. Director of the Mint James P. Kimball, in his annual report for 1887, praised his department staff's efforts in compiling all of the mintage figures for all U.S. mints from 1792 through 1886. He admitted that much of the confusion about mintage figures occurred when the U.S. Mint switched from calendar-year reporting (January 1 to December 31) to a fiscal-year format (July 1 to June 30) in 1857, and then reverted back to the calendar-year approach in 1880. As of 1887, he claimed, the annual mintage figures were "as nearly perfect as can be made...."

As for 1872-CC quarters, later research uncovered a document that added 13,750 pieces (8,000 minted in February 1872, and 5,750 delivered at the end of March), bringing the total for that year to 22,850. The annual Mint Director's report for 1872, even though it is on a fiscal-year basis, reinforces this adjusted figure. As much as we would like to get to the truth we are more concerned about how many examples survive today. In the case of the 1872-CC quarter, the answer is: not many. Although some estimates rise as high as 200, the evidence doesn't support them. Examples above Very Fine condition are in short supply; in the AU category less than a handful exists, and there are only two Mint State specimens.

Q. David Bowers: The 1872-CC fits the mold of the previous two issues, similar to the situation in which early Carson City dimes have many of the same characteristics. The mintage was modest, again reflecting that coins of this denomination were not needed in local or regional circulation. Rusty Goe estimates that only 65 to 80 exist today, three in Mint State and perhaps only six to seven in EF to AU grades. For an advanced collection a VF coin would be a worthwhile purchase. The surface quality of the 1872-CC quarter is usually quite fine. Accordingly, within a given grade quality is not a major concern.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the August 2012 Battle Born Collection of Carson City Coinage, where it realized $76,375.