1872-CC Seated Liberty Half Dollar
As is true for so many coins struck at the Carson City Mint in the early 1870’s, the 1872-CC Seated Liberty half dollar is a rare and popular date with collectors.(1)
Over the years, owing to their much lower mintages, more attention is usually paid to the 1870-CC, 1871-CC, and 1874-CC. Yet, it was the 1872-CC that performed best in our survey for percentage gains; in fact, the other three Carson City half dollars failed to earn a place on the Key Date List of recommendations (though they did not miss by much – they will be re-assesed annually).
Fascinating Fact: 1872-CC half dollars oddly contain a slightly higher silver content than the mandated .900 fineness. Mint records document that some of the alloying copper was inexplicably removed during the manufacturing of the coin blanks. In modern times, curious metallurgical chemists have confirmed this indeed did happen.(2)
Check out the value trend charts below for the 1872-CC. Since 1990, prices have risen steadily, with very few stumbles. Very unusual for a multi-decade window of study.
Virtually all the 1872-CC Seated Liberty half dollars were released into circulation and experienced significant wear and damage. The collector who patiently searches for a problem-free example with good eye appeal will be handsomely rewarded when the time to sell comes.
| Estimated survivors in all grades: 250 ?
The survivor estimate from PCGS represents an average of one or more experts' opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in all grades. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services. Learn more at PCGS. |
| PCGS Rarity Scale: 6.6 ?
The 'PCGS CoinFacts Rarity Scale' assesses the relative rarity of all U.S. coins, based on estimated surviving examples. The scale runs from 1.0 to 10.0. The higher the number, the rarer the coin.
Learn more at PCGS. |
| Click HERE to check for availability on eBay** |
Preview of eBay selection:
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| Trendline Avg = 15.77 | GOOD |
Historic Value Trend Charts:
| Last updated 9-3-23 |  |
Return to Key Date Coin List |
| Compare to Common Date Coin of Same Type | ||
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| Download Charts to Your Computer | ||
Sources
1. PCGS. 1872-CC 50C (Regular Strike).
2. Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1872-CC Liberty Seated Half Dollar. Aug 2012 Auction.
**Many very fine coin dealers sell on eBay. At any point in time, there may be over one million search results for United States coins. This includes quite a few of the recommendations on our Key Date Coin List.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a rare coin, eBay is certainly worth a look. For your convenience, the links from this site to eBay are coded to bring up only coins certified by PCGS and NGC.
As is always, always the case, never buy a valuable coin from a seller whose trustworthiness cannot be verified. Learn more about this at our chapter Best Places to Buy Coins, which also has a section on doing business on eBay.
In the interest of full disclosure, Rare Coins 101 receives a small commission anytime someone connects to eBay from this site and purchases something.
Coin Images by Stack's Bowers Galleries.
