1892-CC $1 MS PL

Key to Collecting: Although the 1892-CC has a generous mintage figure for a Carson City dollar, survivors from the Treasury hoard were in the tens of thousands, not in the hundreds of thousands, and all but one coin were gone by the time of the General Services Administration sales. Most 1892-CC dollars are well struck and attractive, although there are some exceptions to be avoided. Year in and year out this coin has been in great demand. MS-63 and MS-64 offer excellent acquisition possibilities, or even higher grades if your budget permits.

Surface Quality: Striking varies from weak to sharp, with most being above average. Usually lustrous and attractive.

Prooflike Coins: Prooflike coins exist but are in the minority. Most of these have excellently mirrored surfaces. DMPLs are seen occasionally and are beautiful if not overly bagmarked.

Mintage and Distribution: Delivery figures by month: January, 106,000; February, 110,000; March, 110,000; April, 110,000; May, 110,000; June, 116,000; July, 110,000; August, 40,000; September, 126,000; October, 120,000; November, 140,000; December, 154,000. Stocks of 1892-CC dollars were kept in vaults in Carson City and were later moved to the San Francisco Mint for the most part, although some bags went to the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. At San Francisco many bags were paid out over a long period of years, including in 1926 and 1927, accelerating in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Most of these went into circulation. Meanwhile, bags were paid out from the Treasury Building, with Stephen D. Ruddel estimating that in the single year of 1955 about 50 were released. Quite a few of these went into numismatic hands, to the extent that as late as 1982, Wayne Miller could state in his Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook that large quantities were available. However, Treasury vaults had been emptied by 1964. The series of GSA sales commencing in October 1972 did not include any silver dollars of 1889-CC, 1892-CC, or 1893-CC.

No dramatic varieties exist from 10 die pairs made. VAM listings are positional. For these and other Carson City issues, the CC mintmark was punched in separately, with two impressions of a C punch. Thus, there are variations in spacing, with the 1892-CC VAM-5 having the letters farther apart than usually seen.