1882-CC $1 MS PL

Key to Collecting: The 1882-CC and the two successive Carson City issues, 1883-CC and 1884-CC, constitute the most widely available Carson City silver dollars. In 1964 the Treasury Department held back vast quantities of these issues, later distributing them to collectors and others. Today, beautiful pieces can be obtained for a reasonable price.

Surface Quality: Usually seen well struck. Typically seen with beautiful, deep, frosty luster.

Prooflike Coins: Prooflike pieces are encountered with some frequency, and some have deep mirror surfaces with sharp contrast, quite resembling Philadelphia Mint Proofs. Some coins are prooflike, even DMPL, in most areas of the field, except for satiny luster close to Liberty’s head and, on the reverse, surrounding the eagle’s head.

Mintage and Distribution: At the turn of the twentieth century large quantities were shipped from Carson City to the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. In August 1926, attendees of the ANA Convention who walked across the street from the headquarters hotel to the Treasury Building were delighted to be able to “exchange any old kind of a dollar there for an Uncirculated silver dollar of 1882-CC.”26 Over time many more were paid out, including in the early 1930’s and in 1938 and the 1950’s. Stephen D. Ruddel stated that about 50 bags were released from the Treasury Building in 1955, and many more bags were paid out at a later time, this being prior to 1964.27 After the great Treasury release was halted in March 1964, the General Services Administration holding of 1882-CC dollars totaled 605,029, or 53.40% of the original mintage, per a later inventory.28

No varieties from the 15 die pairs made for the coinage have captured the attention of others than dedicated VAM specialists.