1876-CC Half Dollar CC Coin of the week 8-29-2010

1876: The nation was busy to celebrate the 100rd year Anniversary of the existence of this great Country. Carson City was the Wild West.

And the Mint on Carson Street was running full steam. In order to keep up with the Mint’s ever record setting and increasing output,Superintendent Crawford got a third Coin Press and usuf of dies. More so on obverse as some of the reverse dies from previous years also had been employed. A die varieties Collector delight!

1876 recorded the best total output of “Value dollar wise”: of any year $6,402,215.00

In Quantities,the result was, a grand Total of 15,839,024 CC coins, divided into 8 Denominations. The Mint also coined the 1876-CC 20 cents Rarity with only 10,000 produced, where as the 1876-CC Dime got 8’270,000 times produced.

Fast forward to Nov. 7, 1950. Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., finished his collection. The 1873-CC dime without arrows, being that last Coin.
The coin of the week I’m writing about was part is his collection and bears his pedigree. I have written about the King of Coins, his pedigree and what it resembled in Curry’s Chronicle. See or buy the summer 2008 edition.


The Pedigree of this Coin can be traced back to:

-Richard B. Winsor Collection, Providence R.I.
Auctioned and catalogued by S.H and H. Chapman on Dec. 16 & 17-1895
The Auction was held at 1212 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, the very same street as the first US Mint was located. Listed as:
1876 Lot 575 C.C. Mint UNC. Brilliant Mint Luster. Sold for .95cents to:
JM Clapp and John H. Clapp, Clapp Estate.
It remained in that Family till 1942 when:
Louis E. Eliasberg was presented with the opportunity to acquire the
John H. Clapp Collection in its entirety. In March of that year the following announcement appeared in an advertisement in the Numismatist:
“Clapp Coin Collection is sold for $100,000.00. Compromises every U.S. issue. Cash price an all-time high.

Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. died Feb. 20. 1976, shortly after his 80th birthday.
Subsequently the Heirs put the Eliasberg Collection up for Auction.
First, in 1982, “The United States Gold Coin Collection was to be sold at public auction by Bowers and Ruddy Galleries.
Second, April 6-8, 1997, “The United States Silver Coin Collection” was to be sold at public auction by Bowers & Merena, in New York City:
Lot 2038: Splendid Gem 1876-CC 50 Cents
Prooflike Obverse, one of the finest known!
1876-CC Medium CC WB 102, MS 66


A splendid Gem. Specimen which ranks among the finest. The Obverse is highly prooflike and is from a heavily polished die. The Reverse is frosty. Hammer price: $25,300.00. Since then the coin has bounced around twice, with Southgate Coins handling both times the transactions and yours truly being the last Owner.

Well, some of you might ask what the WB 102 stands for. For Die Varity and Seasoned Coin Collectors this is well known, but for me I had to ask Rusty Goe of Southgate Coins, which coincidently furnished me all the important Information about the Pedigrees. Thanks Rusty, it was pure ecstasy to look at your very old auction books.

Back to WB 102: Randy Wiley and Bill Bugert wrote:
The complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars, to which Bill Bugert just this Month, Aug. 2010, comes out with the newest and updated Print.

So now this featured Coin of the week, the 1876-CC Half Dollar, is a WB-21 Med CC, referring back to WB 102.,
Meaning, there is WB 101, WB 102, WB 103 translated to SM/MED/LARGE CC’s
Also and here comes the kicker for the varieties collector, go on the hunt for 37 of them.
A monumental task even thought the total Mintage for the 1876-CC half Dollar was: 1.956,000 it’s still a matter of economics.
If you check the Auction Prices on the Clubs website you notice the entry:
April, 1997-RAW UNC-Bowers and Merena-2038 25,300
This Coin got ultimately graded and pedigreed by NGC to the lofty grade of MS-68.That should not surprise, since the total survival estimates in all grades is somewhere between 3000 and 5000 pieces. Surprisingly thought, there are only circa 200 total certified (PCGS and NGC) pieces.
Here are Values taken from Coin World August 2010 edition:
G4:$50/ F12:$75/ EF40:$150/ AU55:$250/ AU58:$75o/
MS60:$850/ MS63:$1250/ MS65:$3750
As you can see they are affordable and plentiful,
so the way to go is hunt down a raw 1876-CC half Dollar, in any grade you like and maybe have it slabbed or just for the heck of it put in a 10 piece type set plastic holder. Good Luck!
The Sierrabiker.

Otto,

You continue to blow my mind with the unbelievable coins in your collection.

This was a very interesting article and i especially enjoyed reading the pedigree of your coin.

Great job sierra Biker!!!

Belay Off

Very interesting posting, especially that (as far as I know) it is for the first time in this Forum that MS-68 coin has been featured.

The pedigree of this coin is historical, too.

Too bad it is not a Morgan $1, we could have used it's image in the Grading by Photographs.

John Armonas

That is a stunning coin.

Guet Schaffe Her Klay, es isch es unbschriblichs Gfüül.

Translation (I hope): [Good work Mr. Klay] [it's an indescribable feeling.]

You tied a number of different facts together to make an interesting COTW posting. I like how you started out with a shout out to the 100th anniversary of the United States---a great country indeed!

Merci vilmal.

Rusty

Hi Sierra Biker

I congratulate you. Your article superbly portrays your coin.

It's an amazing thing to own any "CC" coin in the lofty MS-68 grade....even more amazing to own a "CC" coin with an Eliasberg pedigree....to own both together in one coin is simply astounding!:woohoo:

This is such an important and historic coin you have my friend...it deserves an equally great article to describe it. You have accomplished that indeed!

Michael the drummer