Rusty Goe: By the end of the first month of 1873, Carson Mint workers had executed 27,000 coins, 1,000 of which were standard silver dollars, with the Liberty Seated design, which the government had officially issued for the past 33 years. An additional 1,300 silver dollars were struck shortly thereafter, apparently on February 13, 1873. These would be the last of the date and type coined in Carson City.

Of greater significance than the actual mintage figure is whether depositors received any of those 1873-CC silver dollars. Congress had already passed the Coinage Act of 1873 and as a result, silver dollars were abolished. Many numismatists have conjectured that the Carson Mint melted most of those obsolete 1873-CC silver dollars in compliance with the Coinage Act, which took effect on April 1, 1873.

The 1873-CC has a lower extant population than its mates from 1870, 1871 and 1872, but still, the survival rate is higher than most Carson City coins from the same era. Based on the estimated survival population, possibly four to five percent of the original mintage of 1873-CC silver dollars exists -- which still ranks it as slightly scarcer than its lower-mintage counterpart from 1871.

An interesting story that originated in the 1970s might account for the provenance of at least two and maybe three of the extant Mint State 1873-CC Seated dollars. Reno coin dealer Frank Roza Jr. told how a construction worker brought in an old Prince Edward tobacco can to his satellite coin shop in Carson City. When Roza opened the can, he saw a handful of "CC" coins dated 1872 and 1873, and some Nevada-related items. Roza was amazed to discover that three of the coins were 1873-CC Seated dollars, all in Uncirculated condition -- or maybe two Mint State pieces and one AU specimen. The construction worker told Roza he had found the treasure trove stashed inside a wall at the Nevada State Museum (the old Carson City Mint), where he was working on a renovation job.

Q. David Bowers: The 1873-CC is the rarest of all Carson City Liberty Seated silver dollars. Although 2,300 were struck early in the year, it is likely that either some were melted or most were exported to China.

Rusty Goe suggests that 85 to 105 exist in all grades. Our experience suggests that the differential between this and the 1871-CC (100 to 125 estimated by Rusty Goe) is quite a bit wider.

In a letter to the writer R.W. Julian suggested the following:

"If the 2,300 were not called for by the silver depositor, it is likely that they would have been melted, and his bullion returned to him. It is my opinion, however, that all the coins were paid out and then perhaps redeposited for trade dollar coinage a few weeks later."

In view of the rarity of the 1873-CC today, it seems reasonable to suggest a net distribution of only 1,000 for these coins.

Including the mintage for 1873, the total production for Liberty Seated dollars at the Carson City Mint amounted to 19,288, with the lion's share going to the 1870-CC with 12,462.

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 $64,625.