Carson City Coin Collectors of America

Please Visit the New C4OA Web Site!

2010-09-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Dear C4OAers,

If you have stumbled upon this blog site, I would like to redirect you to the official C4OA Web site, at http://www.carsoncitycoinclub.com/. There, you will find a lively discussion board forum, a page devoted to each edition of Curry's Chronicle in print, and even a section devoted to auction prices realized for "CC" coins.

The new Web site also features a Superintendent Shrine, which details each of the seven superintendents of the Carson City Mint. Mintage figures are available for all coins bearing the "CC" mintmark, as well as a list of the trophy coins available from this mint.

If you are looking for the best numismatic club Web site around, please visit http://www.carsoncitycoinclub.com/. You'll be surprised at the value you receive!

-Maya

Rusty Goe to Lecture at Carson City Historical Society in October 2009

2009-09-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Rusty Goe will give a PowerPoint presentation at a Carson City Historical Society lecture series meeting on Wednesday October 21, 2009.

The start time is 6:00 p.m.

The location is the Carson City Library, 900 N. Roop St., Carson City, NV.

The topic is “Harold M. Budd, Sr. – The Ambassador of Carson City Coin Collecting in the First Half of the 20th Century.”

Following is a synopsis of Goe’s lecture:

Harold M. Budd, Sr. moved to Los Angeles, CA from Connecticut in the early years of the 20th century. He immediately developed a passion for the western heritage of the United States. Carson City, NV became one of his favorite destination spots. He assembled one of the finest collections of “CC” coins in history, and he made many trips to Nevada’s capital.

During his last trip to Carson City in 1950, he planned to lend a special set of “CC” coins to the Nevada State Museum. His friend Ed Stiles, a former Carson City resident who worked as a photographer for the Nevada State Highway Department, accompanied him on this trip. Headlines in local newspapers in northern Nevada conveyed what happened to Harold M. Budd on this trip to Carson City.

Decades after his death, Carson City Mint historian Rusty Goe, has linked some of the most famous coins from Nevada’s storied mint to Harold M. Budd. Goe has also uncovered interesting information about Budd’s relationship to Carson City, and about what happened to his wife and children after he died.

Goe’s PowerPoint presentation captures the important events in Harold M. Budd’s life, especially as they relate to Nevada. Pictures include examples of Budd’s most notable “CC” coins, documents that connect Budd to Carson City, and scenes from northern Nevada in the 1940s.

Carson City Coin Symposium

2009-08-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

Just wanted everyone to take a look at the recently-updated News and Articles page on the new C4OA website, because I just posted a short blog about the Carson City Coin Symposium that occurred at the ANA's World's Fair of Money in Los Angeles, CA, on August 6.

Hope you enjoy!

1876-CC twenty cent historic rarity

2009-06-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

A most special coin just sold in Baltimore at the Bowers and Merena auction of June 11 - 12. The coin; an 1876-CC twenty cent piece. Other than the fact that there are only 12 to 20 known examples of this rare date, the fascinating thing about this particular piece is the most intriguing family history/story that accompanies it.
First of all, this rarity is graded PCGS AU-58 which actually makes it even more of a rarity so to speak as currently no known examples of this historic date are graded uncirculated! That's right, this is the only known 1876-CC twenty center known in circulated condition. The coin had previously been graded AU-58 by ANACS in the 1990's. Here's the brief 'five-generation' story on this important coin. 1: John Seagraves Pick originally from New York/become resident of Virginia City Nevada, obtained the coin from general circulation. More than likely 'on a whim' he decided to keep it perhaps in celebration of the 1876 date and our nation's centennial celebrations. John fathered a son. 2: John William Pick was born in 1872 in Virginia City and obtained the coin from his father John Seagraves Pick. He eventually moved to Berkeley California and became a doctor. He fathered 2 sons (who both passed away young) and a daughter. 3: Virginia Pick Jurgensen was born in 1904 and inherited the coin from her father, John William Pick. She survived the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 at age 2 and held the coin through two world wars and many long years until her death in 1993. 4: Her son, Wilfred Pick Jurgensen was born in Berkeley (1934) inherited the coin and held it until his death. 5: The coin then passed to his widow and son, Jean Lorraine and Stephen Frederick Jurgensen. The coin's amazing journey through time takes up to June of 2009 where some lucky soul bought this most amazing specimen for $207,000 in Baltimore Maryland USA. This coin is already known as one of the classic U.S. numismatic rarities, so to obtain a specimen with a most complete, five-generation pedigree such as this is simply mind blowing. No...this isn't one of the 'prettiest' specimens from this short and rare series, but it certainly has to be one of the most intriguing and fascinating.

Curry’s Chronicle Page Launched on New C4OA Website

2009-06-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

As you might have noticed, there has been a lot of construction occurring on the new C4OA website (http://www.carsoncitycoinclub.com/). We’ve been adding new threads to the Discussion Board, publishing new posts in the News and Articles section, and steadily working behind the scenes to create a user-friendly, attractive, and versatile website where all “CC”-enthusiasts can thrive. As of today, June 9, 2009, we have added a new “wing” to this website, and we believe that this is one of the most special additions yet.

If you glimpse at the new website's left navigation menu, you'll see we've added a new item called “Curry’s Chronicle.” On this page you will find thumbnail images of the front covers of each award-winning Chronicle, which link to their respective table of contents. Within each table of contents, there are selected articles, complete with images and tables, just as you’d see them in the copies of the quarterly.

In the past, many of our members have wondered if there was an online edition of Curry’s Chronicle. At the time, we didn’t have the proper platform to be able to produce such a feat. Now, with the help of the new C4OA website, we are able to give readers a taste of what each Chronicle has to offer.

We hope those interested in our publication will join the club and receive Curry’s Chronicle. But, for now, we hope that you enjoy this peek into our club publication’s history.

Don’t hesitate to leave your comments about this new “wing” of the website in our “Curry’s Chronicle” thread on the new website's Discussion Board. We certainly love knowing how much our hard work is appreciated by those who warrant it most—our beloved C4OA members!

Regional Meeting at the Carson City Coin Show in August

2009-06-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

If you’ve had your nose buried in the most recent edition of Curry’s Chronicle, you should already know that this August is going to be a very eventful month for C4OA. Only two weeks after we have our annual meeting in Los Angeles on August 6th at the 2009 ANA World’s Fair of Money, we’ll also be having a 2009 C4OA Carson City Regional Meeting at the Carson City coin show, hosted by the Nevada State Museum.

After a year of renovations, the Nevada State Museum will once again be hosting its Carson City coin show on August 21-22, 2009. During the coin show, the C4OA will host a regional meeting in an upstairs room at the museum. This will be a time of sharing, of questions and answers, and of showing our coins and telling about them. The meeting will be on Friday, August 21st from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. All members will then meet for dinner at 5:15 at Adele’s Restaurant, one of the finest eateries in Northern Nevada, located just up the street from the old mint building. (Please note: Due to the limited space available for our dinner at Adele’s, we’re restricting guests to C4OA members only.)

If you wish to add your name to the list of participants, please send a note to Maya Roberts at 5032 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502, or call her at (775) 322-4455. Email: mariesgate@sbcglobal.net. This will be a memorable event for all who join in.

New C4OA Website Launched!

2009-05-22T18:01:00.001-07:00

Dear C4OAers,

I'm pleased to announce that after many hours of preparation, we have launched a new C4OA website. The URL is www.carsoncitycoinclub.com. We have new features, including a discussion board, a "contact us" page, and a news and articles section.

Rusty Goe, C4OA president and editor of Curry's Chronicle, made this all happen. This site was not designed to take the place of the blogsite, but instead to offer an additional meeting place for Carson City enthusiasts in cyberspace. If you're interested in how this website came to be, please read the May 21st News and Articles entry on the site.

Visit the site, www.carsoncitycoinclub.com, and register on the discussion board. Leave your comments to the posts, or create your own post! Please note, the site is live, but it is still being tweaked to fit our expectations. Any little glitches will be fixed soon.

Enjoy your new site and forum, fellow "CC"-lovers!

-Maya

Souvenirs from the Nevada State Museum in Carson City

2009-05-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last year we were in Reno and I was able to visit Nevada State Museum and the mint in Carsin City.

The day we were there the press was not operating, however they were selling medals produced on the old press #1. Prices were very reasonable.

1875-CC Twenty-Cent Pieces

2009-05-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, here it goes my first attempt at posting on this blog. To get to this point it took a while.

Finally, I was able to upgrade from 1875-CC G Details to 1875-CC MS64. As one can see, on the reverse the left wing has a problem, but overall the coin is nice. This leaves some room for a future update - one with a perfect wing.

Since this is my first try I am not sure if the images are too small or too big.

Questions Regarding Receiving Invitations to this Blogsite

2009-05-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of “blogging for dummies,” I would like to explain the dynamics of participating on this blogsite. First, let me go over the basic definitions of some blogsite lingo:

Blog: Literally, “blog” is a shortened form of “weblog,” which is a series of online postings by one or more authors. Blogs usually have a feature that allows viewers to comment on the topics discussed.

Right now, the Web site you are on is a blog, or blogsite.

Post: A post is what one or more authors (C4OA members, in this case) contribute to a blogsite. This is the actual mini-article you write and publish within the blogsite.

Right now, the text you are reading is in the form of a post, which I just published on the blogsite.

Comment: A comment is an afterthought, or an addition to a post. Comments can be published by anyone, even if the person isn’t a registered author on the blogsite.

Basically, you comment on a post, and you post on a blogsite.

Recently, I have received some questions about problems that members have encountered with accessing this blogsite, so I will explain how you can participate on this blogsite:

First:
Become a Member of the Carson City Coin Collectors of America.

Second:
Sign up for Google account. You will need to have a Google Account in order for your Invitation Link to work. The C4OA blogsite is on Google’s “Blogger” platform, so only Google Accounts will work with it.

Third:
Request an Invitation Link from a Club Administrator at mdparrott@cox.net, ok2lmkr@aol.com, or mariesgate@sbcglobal.net. (If you don’t receive an invitation after emailing one of these addresses, please try another one. Remember, these are the email addresses of volunteers within the club, and they might not always check their email or they might be on vacation.)

This invitation will come from Google’s “Blogger,” so be aware that it will NOT come as a reply from the volunteer you originally emailed! And it will not come from the C4OA.

Fourth:
Add a Post! All you need to do is click the “Sign In” button at the top, use your Google Account information and password to sign in, and you will be brought to your “Blogger Dashboard.” In the Dashboard, you can view whatever blogs you are apart of, and if you click “New Post,” it will allow you to post a mini-article to our blogsite. When it’s posted, other members will be able to comment on your writing.

Hopefully, this clears up some of the issues members have encountered recently, such as not being able to post articles onto the blogsite.

If you’ve struggled through all the steps required to register on the blogsite, and you’re having issues when attempting to post something, please remember that you can email your questions and concerns to mariesgate@sbcglobal.net. (Make sure you set your spam filters in your email account to allow this address to reply to you!)

Concerning Curry’s Chronicle
We’re in the midst of proofing the summer 2009 Curry’s Chronicle, and it looks like it will be shipped right on schedule! You can expect to receive your copy around the first week of June.

Enjoy these spring months while they last!

-Maya

Update on the Summer 2009 Curry's Chronicle

2009-05-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Fellow C4OAers,

All of the article and letter to the editor submissions are in for the summer 2009 Curry’s Chronicle! We’re now in crunch-time, where we edit, arrange, and layout the journal before we send it off to the printer. We’ll be working hard for the next two weeks, so you can enjoy this upcoming Chronicle just as much as the last issue!

Hope you’re having a wonderful first-day-of-May,

-Maya

This Blogsite's Potential Strives Against its Failure to Elicit Member Participation

2009-04-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

For almost two years, the Carson City Coin Collectors of America has provided this blogsite to its members and to any other cyberspace visitor who might pass by. Over 440 people have signed up for membership in the club since its inception in May 2005, and approximately 300 of them have maintained their dues-paid status. All current members receive four times a year, an issue of the club's award-winning journal, Curry's Chronicle. This blogsite is an added bonus of their membership. Yet, whereas members await with eager anticipation each new issue of Curry's Chronicle, very few of them take advantage of this blogsite. We want to know why.

The success of this blogsite, just as the success of Curry's Chronicle, depends on contributions of content by club members. Fortunately, the articles and letters to the editor continue to pour in for Curry's Chronicle. This enabled us to publish our blockbuster spring 2009 edition, which featured 16 articles. In contrast, only a handful of members---maybe 10---faithfully visit this blogsite, and if several of these members' contributions were eliminated, there would be nothing for other visitors to view. This isn't the way it's supposed to be.

This blogsite is a community domain, where community efforts are required to produce a sense of community pride. Our vision for this blogsite is to have a forum where Carson City coin enthusiasts can meet to exchange information about their passion. We want it to also serve as a reference source for Internet surfers with questions about the Carson City Mint and its coins.

Our original expectation for this blogsite was built on the if-you-build-it-he-(or they)-will-come principle. We believed that a blogsite devoted to preserving the legacy of the Carson City Mint would not only attract our club's members, but would also attract anyone who had even a remote interest in the subject. We wanted the site to resemble a wiki, as in Wikipedia.

If all had gone according to plan, this site would now have hundreds of small postings from our members that covered dozens of different topics related to "CC" coins and the history of the Carson City Mint. In addition, there would be hundreds of comments posted by members and non-members, in reference to the mini-articles, the images of coins, and the questions raised.

If the site had experienced this kind activity, we would have reciprocated by posting dozens of other articles, excerpts from books, a gallery featuring information on each of the 111 different date/denomination combinations in the "CC" coin series, and much, much more.

Visitors to this site could find information on many of the varieties found within each series of "CC" coins, price estimates for every "CC" coin in every grade range, population data for surviving "CC" coins, facts and stories about GSA and Redfield "CC" silver dollars, updates on "CC" coins in the auction place, and images of hundreds of "CC" coins. There would be everything that's found in each issue of Curry's Chronicle and a whole lot more. And the best part would be, that new bits of information and exciting new things would be added to the site every day; plus, visitors would be able to ask questions all the time and people would be able to comment on anything they saw on the site.

I know the faithful few that visit this site on a regular basis are asking themselves, "What are we waiting for?" What I'm hoping is, if you're not one of the "faithful few," and you're just a casual visitor---or even a first-time visitor---to this blogsite, you'll send a comment to express your interest in helping us achieve our goal of transforming it into a popular destination spot for Carson City coin collectors. If you know of another Internet site that's already offering what I've outlined in this article, please let me know about it and I'll post a link to it.

One word about our club

The Carson City Coin Collectors of America is a club that every serious "CC" coin enthusiast should join---you won't find more information on this fascinating subject anywhere. If you collect Carson City coins and you're not a member, you're like a baseball fan without access to ESPN or the sports pages in the newspaper. You're like a food lover without any good restaurants to enjoy. Do yourself a favor and before you add another "CC" coin to your collection, join the Carson City Coin Collectors of America---stop being a fish out of water.

You can send your first year's dues of $20 to:

TREASURER
P.O. Box 16776
Boise, ID 83715-6776
Make checks payable to CCCCOA

Please be sure to include your name, your mailing address, and your email address.

Summer 2009 Curry’s Chronicle Deadline Approaches

2009-04-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well, after the outpouring of support that we experienced with the spring 2009 issue, we are working hard toward another jam-packed edition of Curry's Chronicle— all thanks to devoted members like you!

As a reminder, the deadline for letter to the editor and article submissions is April 30, 2009—just over a week away! So, if you feel that you have something wonderful to share with the rest of us C4OAers, please, send email your submission to mariesgate@sbcglobal.net.

I hope that all of you enjoyed this past Curry’s Chronicle, and understand that your contributions and support are what keep this club thriving.

Have a happy end-of-April,

-Maya

1877-CC Dime NGC MS-61

2009-04-12T15:36:00.000-07:00

Here's my 1877-CC Dime. You can see the rough texture of the surfaces. It looks like a coin that spent some time in the West in the late 19th century!

(You can see a larger image of my dime in the Gallery of "CC" Coin Images in the righthand column on this page.)

Other C40A members: Show us some pictures of your "CC" coins!

Garry N.

C4OA Treasurer's 1876-CC Dime PCGS MS-65

2009-04-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

In the message about the 1874-CC dime, from March 10, 2009, our club's Treasurer mentioned his 1876-CC dime in PCGS MS-65. As you can see from the image, it is an exquisitely toned specimen with immaculate surfaces. It doesn't get any better for the grade. Take a look:

You can get a more close-up view of this coin in the Gallery of "CC" Coin Images located in the righthand menu section on this page.

Belle Collection of Carson City Coins Realizes Disappointing Results in Heritage Sale

2009-03-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to view the prices realized for the sale of the Belle collection of Carson City coins. Heritage conducted the auction in Baltimore on March 28 and 29, 2009.

Please note: after you click this link, you'll go to mediafire.com and you'll have to deal with a couple annoying pop-ups. Just select the Belle Collection link, the "Click here to start download" link, and then click on "Open file." You'll need an Adobe Acrobat reader (always free) to view these pdf files (you can easily close the advertizing pop-ups).

Belle Collection of CC Coins

Unfortunately, the owner of this collection didn't exercise discretion in the selection of many of the coins. Thus, many of the coins were sub-par for their grades. Moreover, the collector assembled the set in haste, over a short period of time, and for whatever reason, decided to sell after owning most of the coins for less than six months. This usually results in disappointing returns. It didn't help that the collection was sold in the midst of a severe recession.

As you'll see, most of the prices are low in comparison to the rarity and desirability of the coins. This provided a great buying opportunity in many cases for shrewd collectors.

Probably the most disappointing news to the owner of this 56-piece group of coins was that the two classic rarities in the collection, the 1876-CC 20-center in NGC MS-64, and the 1870-CC $20 gold piece in NGC XF-45, didn't sell (they failed to meet their reserves).

I'm sure that this whole experience was a bitter pill for the owner of the Belle collection to swallow: and hopefully was a valuable lesson as well.

1874-CC 10c AU 55 PCGS

2009-03-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

With cool and calm Rusty on the phone doing the bidding at the January 14, Stack's "Americana" auction, I was thrilled and very fortunate to acquire the 1874-CC AU 55 PCGS dime which had recently returned to the US from Europe. The coin is original in every way and is amazingly free of abrasions. I plan to share more about the coin with my C4OA members in the next issue of Curry's Chronicle.

But for now, I would like to tap the very considerable experience found amongst the club members. The subject 1874-CC dime displays the rough or porous surfaces, a relatively common characteristic of Carson City dimes. The most common theory for the cause of the pourous surface is die rust or decay due to conditions inside the mint building at the time.

Does anyone have any other ideas as to what could have caused this on some Carson City coins and not on others? Conversely, does anyone have definitive information that would verify the die rust or decay theory? Any and all opinions or information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...Belay Off

1876-CC twenty cent piece up for auction

2009-03-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

This one is NGC MS-64. It is included in the Heritage Baltimore auction and is part of the Belle Collection of Carson City Coinage.

http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=1126&Lot_No=983&type=collect-coinnews-tem030609&ic=

Here is the list of the Belle Collection:

http://coins.ha.com/common/search_results.php?N=51+793+794+791+1577+4294956929+4294956294&type=collect-coinnews-tem030609

Thanks for the heads up, Maya!

Curry's Chronicle Spring Edition - cover to cover

2009-03-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

The spring edition was terrific. As a "hungry for knowledge" Carson City coin collector who is north of beginner and south of intermediate, Curry's Chronicle is an absolute oasis in both amount and breadth of information. For me, one of the most important aspects of the publication is that even the most experienced and sophisticate contributors write their articles so that all the members, not just the old grizzled pros, can appreciate what is being shared.

Thanks C4OA !

Belay Off

Spring 2009 Curry’s Chronicle is in the Mail!

2009-02-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

Now, I know that after my last post, some of you were a bit worried about why your issue hadn’t reached you yet. Fear not. As of today (2-25-09), the spring 2009 issue of C4OA’s Curry’s Chronicle is in the mail!

Here’s the thing: whenever I post a blog about the Chronicle being at the printers, that only means that we’re in the final stages of production, not that it’s getting mailed out that day. We still have to receive proof copies, make lots of corrections, and comb through every page of the journal before we give the printers the go-ahead to mail them out. Sometimes this can take a week, and sometimes it takes several weeks.

Keeping that in mind, our deadline for mailing out the spring edition of Curry’s Chronicle is March 1st, so don’t fret if we’re still in February and you haven’t received your copy—it’s on its way!

Thankfully, this issue of the journal is now in the hands of the U.S. Post Office (in Minnesota), and hopefully (fingers crossed), its carriers will deliver your dose of “CC” literature in a careful, speedy manner.

If you have questions or comments, or if your quarterly hasn’t reached you by April Fool’s Day, let us know by contacting me (Maya) at mariesgate@sbcglobal.net, or by mailing a note to me at 5032 S. Virginia St., Reno, NV 89502. Also, calls are welcome at (775) 322-4455.

I hope you enjoy this latest issue of Curry’s Chronicle, and that you have a very wonderful last-month-of-winter!

-Maya

PS: If you just can't wait to sneak-a-peek at the upcoming issue, I have posted a list of the spring 2009 Curry's Chronicle articles in the Table of Contents section in the right-hand column. Scroll down, and don't feel bad for drooling!

Spring 2009 Curry's Chronicle is at the Printers!

2009-02-09T15:23:00.000-08:00

My wonderful C4OAers,

Well, there may be some snow on the ground, but that isn’t stopping this club from launching off its next quarterly to the printer. Yes, that means that our little journal is working its way from mere digital files into the beautiful literary work of art known only as Curry’s Chronicle.

Behind the scenes, everyone at C4OA has been working diligently to make sure this Chronicle astounds anyone who picks it up. It’s jammed with a wide variety of interesting articles, letters to the editor, detailed pictures, and yes, even another famous word search puzzle. Although the contents are strictly top-secret at the moment, I can assure you that this season’s edition will not disappoint you.

I hope everyone in C4OA’s cyber-land is doing well, and is enjoying the end of the winter season. Do keep in mind that if you have not contributed an article or a letter to the editor, you should make the effort and become the “newest sensation” in the summer 2009 issue. Join in on the fun!

With great anticipation,

-Maya

1873-CC Trade dollar

2009-02-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Just as an FYI for Jim Sneddon or anyone else who collects and researches trade dollars. Harlan Berk's in Chicago has an 1873-CC, described as Wide CC; 3/3. AU50 cleaned.

http://www.harlanjberk.com/unitedstatesco/details.asp?inventorynumber=38798&title=Trade+Dollar&inventorygroup=us&linenum=2

Two Reverses for 1877-CC Dimes

2009-01-16T12:59:00.001-08:00

In answer to the Drummer's question below, here are images of the two different reverse varieties of the 1877-CC dime---just follow the arrows.

Type Ones are scarcer than Type Twos, but both are considered common varieties.

"CC" DIME VARIETY HELP

2009-01-14T19:02:00.001-08:00

I need a little help and I figured that someone from our C4OA might have the information I'm looking for. I am the owner of a nice 1877-CC seated dime (NGC MS-66) and I understand that there are two types of reverse dies for this date. I don't know which reverse type my example is. Can anyone explain to me how to identify the Type I and Type II reverses. Thanks for any and all help.

Spring 2009 Curry's Chronicle Deadline Approaching!

2009-01-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

For all the C4OAers that read the blogsite:

As a reminder to those of you viewing the blogsite, the deadline for article and letter to the editor submissions for the spring 2008 issue of Curry's Chronicle is January 31, 2008.

We would love any and all additions to this wonderful publication, whether it’s a presentation of your laboring research, or just a comment directed toward the editor. Please present all submissions in the proper format, as stated in your most recent issue of the Curry’s Chronicle.

Thank you so much for all of you who have already submitted articles and letters to the editor for this edition of the “little journal that could.” We’re very pleased with the success of our club, and try to make that evident in every issue.

In the mean time, get to typing those articles! (And, don’t forget to enjoy the wonderful winter weather this season.)

-Maya

1873-CC WITHOUT ARROWS QUARTER SOLD

2009-01-05T16:36:00.000-08:00

Hear Ye!, Hear Ye!,

One of the five-known 1873-CC Without Arrows Liberty Seated quarters (PCGS MS-63) just sold on the auction block on January 5, 2009 in Orlando Florida (hosted by Stack's). The lucky new owner shelled out a stunning $431,250.00, which includes the 15% buyers fee. This is, if I'm not mistaken, a record price for this date.

Alas, the new owner tis not I...so for second place, I hope it's someone I know or a fellow member of our C4OA. Check out our voting poll for predictions on prices realized. I voted in the $300,000 plus category, so I finally got one right!

CHRISTMAS PARTY AT SOUTHGATE

2008-12-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

I just read the newest Southgate Coins weblog article about their Christmas party. The good folks at Southgate really know how to do a party right! Check it out.
Happy new year!!

BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE...

2008-12-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

The Americana Sale of January 12-14, 2009, New York City hosted by Stack's, is featuring a quartet of super "CC" silver coins.
1. 1871-CC dime (PCGS AU-50)
2. 1873-CC with arrows dime (NGC AU-55)
3. 1874-CC with arrows dime (PCGS AU-55) (CAC) Key Date
4. 1870-CC half dollar (PCGS AU-50)
All of a sudden, super "CC" *Top 25 coins are coming out of the woodwork. It'd be nice to keep them in our family.
Merry Christmas and a happy "CC" new year to all!
Stack's can be reached at 800 566-2580 or www.stacks.com or auction@stacks.com
*Top 25 from "Mint on Carson Street", Rusty Goe

'Twas the "CC" That Saved Christmas

2008-12-22T17:50:00.000-08:00

'Twas the beginning of winter
And all through the land
All of the coin dealers
Wished bullion was banned.

No Panda Bears, no Maple leafs,
No Krugerrands or Eagles.
No Philharmonics or Kangaroos,
Because they’d be illegal.

The people would be saddened
And void of Christmas cheer
All searching for a replacement
For bullion held so dear.

But what could replace bullion
And hold their hearts anew?
Perhaps a little “CC” coin
Struck in silver, and gold, too!

Any humble collector knows
The Carson Mint provided much
With three separate silver dollars,
And a twenty-center as a nice touch!

In addition to those special ones,
There’s five, ten, and twenty dollar gold,
Then the quarter, dime, and half dollar
With strikes that are so bold.

Bullion lovers, do not despair
Your hobby is not quite dead
You just need a change of pace,
So why not buy a “CC” coin instead!

FAB "CC" COINS AT THE ORLANDO SALE

2008-12-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all C4OA members and "CC" fans everywhere. Stack's is presenting the following fabulous "CC" coins at the upcoming Orlando Sale on January 5, 2009.
1. 1873-CC No Arrows Quarter (PCGS MS-63) One of only five known!
2. 1878-CC Half Dollar (PCGS MS-65) None graded finer by PCGS
3. 1893-CC Morgan Dollar (PCGS PR-65) Branch Mint Proof
4. 1873-CC No Arrows Half Dollar (PCGS MS-63) Closed 3 variety
5. 1870-CC Half Eagle (PCGS AU-50) CAC gold sticker
Stack's can be contacted at 800-566-2580 or www.stacks.com.
My hope is that some (if not all) of these treasures stay within our C4OA family.

1878 rotated reverse

2008-11-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

Several months ago i purchased a 1878 dollar with a 45 degree rotation on the reverse. I didn't find enough information on this coin to submint a article for Curry's Chronicle, maybe someone who has some information on these coins could write a article about these interesting coins.

Hello and Happy Autumn to all C4OAers!

2008-11-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

Even though winter has not technically begun, as your C4OA membership services representative, I am proud to announce that the winter 2008 edition of Curry's Chronicle has already been shipped from our printers. (Of course, that means that we are a whopping eleven days ahead of schedule!)

I have already published the winter 2008 Curry’s Chronicle table of contents, containing eight articles that will be appearing in this issue, so please browse the right-hand column of the blogsite to view them. I think that reading them should give you that familiar tingle of anticipation.

For those of you that contributed to this chronicle by submitting articles and letters to the editor, we solemnly thank you, and hope that you continue contributing. For those of you that have not submitted anything, I hope this issue assures you that no matter what your expertise level is, your articles and letters to the editor will be treasured, and they will become apart of the C4OA legacy.

Aside from the anticipation of receiving your Curry's Chronicle, I hope that you all have a wonderful end-of-November, and a very special Thanksgiving holiday.

Warmest regards,

Maya

NCS talk

2008-11-10T20:44:00.000-08:00

Question to all you numismasters...

I have an important type coin that I purchased in an NCS holder. I have no intention of selling the coin, and frankly was very lucky to have found this piece, graded "MS details" by NCS, since it would be an absolute monster in an NGC or PCGS Mint State holder.

I am starting to see a lot of coins in PCGS holders graded "Original". Am I correct to assume this is their way of capturing more "holdering" business that otherwise would have been sent back in a body bag? If so, then good for them. There are no worries as long as the action is not misleading or missinterpreted by the public.

But here's the real $64,000 question...who's holder in the long run will provide my "would be monster coin" with the most upside value gain...the "NCS, MS Details holder" or the "PCGS - Original holder"?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. It's your lead....Off Belay

Article in Numismatic News-Southgate 1808 half dollar giveaway

2008-11-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

Greetings C4OA members and all "CC" fans. There's a nice article in the latest issue (Nov. 11, 2008) of the Numismatic News business section (page 44) about the four month long, six question competition that Southgate Coins hosted earlier this year. The prize was an 1808 capped bust half dollar and the contest was won by Garrett Allen, an 8-year-old Reno boy. The article contains an interview with Garrett and includes a nice picture. It's a great article about a wonderful event that shows another positive aspect of our C4OA club. Congrats to Garrett

Another 1870-CC Double Eagle

2008-10-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

In the November 3 Coin World, on the reverse side of the cover page, is an ad for the next Bowers and Merena auction and an 1870-CC double eagle is pictured. NGC EF-45. I am just starting a post to track the results. :)

Coin Photography

2008-10-21T21:46:00.003-07:00

I just finished reading Mark Goodman's "Numismatic Photography" and want to encourage my CC club cousins to pick this booklet up. Goodman does a great job of explaining each different technique to the novice and then taking it up a notch for the expert before moving on to the next step.

One of the best aspects of the book for me was Goodman's style of explaining each process without presuming his reader already has certain photographic skills. The book gets as technical as you can stand. Goodman left me in the dust about 2/3 of the way through...which was furhter than I have gotten before with other instructional photographic books.

Seriously though...this is the gold standard manual and well worth the $25 bucks I shelled out.

Belay Off

Winter 2008 Curry's Chronicle Deadline - October 31, 2008!

2008-10-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well hello all you C4OAers!

I just wanted to remind those of you viewing the blogsite that the deadline for article and letter to the editor submissions for the winter 2008 issue of Curry's Chronicle is October 31, 2008.

So, if you have news, stories, or information you're dying to share with fellow Carson City enthusiasts, or maybe a word of praise to the editor about the last issue, please make the effort and send in your typed submissions to mariesgate@sbcglobal.net. (For further instructions and options regarding how to submit articles to Curry's Chronicle, please reference the FYI pages in your most recent issue.)

Many thanks to all those who have already contributed their articles and letters to the editor for the winter 2008 edition, and we look forward to those yet to come!

-Maya

Trade Dollar talk

2008-09-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

I had to read Mr Sneddon's article in the current issue of Curry's Chronicle several times and then compare his descriptions to my own Trade Dollars in order to get the most out of the article. Even still...I had to call Rusty to clarify a couple of points.

Does anyone know of a reference book or article that focuses on Trade Dollar varieties?

1876-CC 20-CENTER REALIZES $264,500!

2008-09-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

Collectors talked about it for weeks. Many stopped by Superior's table at the Baltimore ANA just to catch a glimpse of it. And now, it's history. An 1876-CC 20-cent piece graded MS-62 by PCGS cost its new owner $264,500 in Superior's Pre-Long Beach sale, held on Monday, September 15 in Beverly Hills, CA.

The bidding stalled momentarily at the $225,000 level (not including the 15% buyer's fee), before the final bid of $230,000 captured the coveted prize. Add in an additonal 15% ($34,500) and you've got a new record-shattering price (for this date in this grade).

During the spring of 1876, the Carson City Mint struck 10,000 twenty-cent pieces. None of them were released for circulation (at least none that were reported), however, as the Treasury Dept. subsequently removed this denomination from the nation's monetary system. The following spring, in 1877, the superintendent at the Carson Mint received an order to melt down all twenty-cent pieces in inventory.

It is believed that approximately 9,980 1876-CC twenty-cent pieces were destroyed. A handful of them had been sent to the Assay Commission back east to be tested for standard weights and measures. Presumably, another small group of these storied coins eventually fell into the hands of collectors or other interested parties, and today (2008), it is estimated that 18 to 20 examples survive.

Prices for examples of this date/denomination in all grades have risen dramatically. In 1999, a specimen similar in quality to the coin showcased in this posting, failed to meet the consignor's reserve in a Heritage summer ANA sale. Five months later, it realized $69,000 in Heritage's 2000 FUN sale. In March and October 2001, two examples, graded MS-66, brought $161,000 and $138,000, respectively, in Superior and Heritage auctions.

FALL 2008 ISSUE OF CURRY'S CHRONICLE ON THE WAY

2008-09-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

All registered C4OAers please be on the lookout for your copies of the Fall 2008 issue of Curry's Chronicle (mailed at the end of August). This special "lucky 13th" edition is packed with 11 info-jammed articles submitted by faithful members. Be sure to check out the FYI pages for a special announcement about our club's journal.

We're happy to announce that the C4OA has passed the 400-member sign-up mark. Yet we realize that many more Carson City coin enthusiasts out there still need to join the club.

We're now gathering new articles for the Winter 2008 issue and invite members to get their submissions in by the October 31 deadline.

With personal greetings from one of the newest members,

Maya Roberts

COIN WORLD DECLARES IT - ONLY ONE 1873-CC NO ARROWS DIME EXTANT

2008-08-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

As you can see, in its August 18th edition, Coin World graciously retracted the incorrect information it reported about two 1873-CC No Arrows dimes surviving. To its credit, Coin World only published what PCGS reported in its Population Report.

We know that population totals listed in grading service records aren't always accurate, and certainly this is easily forgiven in regards to coins with larger surviving quantities. But in the case of a Unique coin like the '73-CC No Arrows dime, it's essential that population statistics remain 100% accurate. It would be like ESPN all of a sudden reporting that there were two Michael Phelpses at the Olympics. Imagine the confusion this would cause?

In all honesty, there's a greater chance that there's more than one '73-CC No Arrows dime on the planet than there is that a clone of Michael Phelps exists somewhere. But if and when a second '73-CC No Arrows surfaces, let's hope the numismatic press gives it at least as much coverage as it does the discovery of another 1943-S copper penny. I mean, come on now, which is the rarer coin and the one worthy of a front-page headline?

A MAGICAL WEEKEND

2008-08-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all C4OA members and guests.

I invite all of you to check out Southgate Coins weblog to read my story of a very exciting weekend (August 8-9) that my wife Jo Ann and I had with Rusty and Marie Goe.

You can view it at Michael Parrott Guest Writer on Southgate Coin's Weblog

I was honored to have the privilege of being the first guest writer on Southgate's weblog. Rusty supplied the great pictures.

"What a truly wonderful weekend it was!"

Memories of C4OA Meeting at Baltimore World's Fair of Money

2008-08-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

A group of about 18 C4OA members and guests gathered for the club's annual meeting at the World's Fair of Money in Baltimore on Thursday, July 31, 2008. We discussed a few business matters. Then I (Rusty) presented a brief talk on how my quest for knowledge about baseball and horse racing many years ago transferred over to the subject of the Carson City Mint and its coins. C4OA was launched to help all "CC" enthusiasts discover information that will enhance their collecting experience.

Next, Weimar White spoke on the subject "Why there was a need for a club like the C4OA." He provided his reasons in a four-point presentation, covering, 1. Learning about "CC" coins. 2. Preserving the history of the Carson City Mint. 3. The importance of Constitutional money. 4. The investment potential of "CC" coins.

Next, Michael Parrott spoke on "What the C4OA means to me." He shared how his contributing articles to Curry's Chronicle has turned him into a more confident writer.

We then adjourned, and had an informal discussion period.

Wish you all would have been there---maybe next year in Los Angeles.

8-Year-Old Boy Wins 1808 Coin Giveaway Away Competition

2008-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

This posting doesn't have anything to do with the Carson City Mint or its coins--although it might someday because the kid in the story is interested in "CC" coins. But we thought you'd love the human-interest element invloved in this news release. (Click on link below)

8-Year-Old Boy Wins Coin Giveaway

1873-CC WITHOUT ARROWS DIME...2 SURVIVORS...HERE WE GO AGAIN!

2008-07-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Is there any way to clear up the 1873-CC Without Arrows dime controversy? In the latest issue of Coin Values Oct. 2008 issue, which accompanies the Coin World Aug. 4, 2008 issue, there is an article (page 30) by Al Doyle (who I had the pleasure of meeting at our club meeting in Baltimore) entitled "Heading West." On page 32 of that article, Al shows a picture of the 1873-CC Without Arrows dime and states..."of which only 2 examples survive." Later in that article on page 32, Al states, "Low mintages, heavy circulation and a few meltings are the factors that have turned CC products such as the 1873-CC Seated Liberty, No Arrows dime (original mintage listed at 12, 400, with all but two presumed melted), the 1876-CC Seated Liberty 20-cent piece.....etc." I presume that the writers in these modern day coin publications are knowledgeable about coins, so why then is this in print? I will offer an apology if it turns out that yes, there indeed is a 2nd 1873-CC Without Arrows dime that somehow survived. Can this be cleared up once and for all?

THE COMSTOCK BONANZA COLLECTION OF 20 CENTERS

2008-07-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

The Comstock Bonanza Collection of twenty cent pieces will be on the auction block at the pre-Long Beach Coin Auction presented by Superior Galleries on September 14, 15 & 16, 2008. Included in this collection is a fabulous 1876-CC twenty cent specimen graded MS 62 by PCGS. Contact Superior Galleries at 800-545-1001; 310-203-9855 or email at: info@sgbh.com

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ARTICLES FOR NEXT CURRY'S CHRONICLE

2008-07-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

The deadline for submission of articles, comments, letters to the editor, and advertising for the fall 2008 issue of Curry's Chronicle is July 31, 2008.

Please don't delay in submitting anything you have to share with our membership.

CLUB'S ANNUAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR BALTIMORE ANA

2008-07-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

Attention all C4OA members (and wannabe members):

The annual meeting of the Carson City Coin Collectors of America is scheduled for Thursday, July 31, at 1:00 p.m. in Room No. 319 on the Third floor of ANA's Worlds Fair of Money convention in Baltimore, MD.

Several members will be sharing about their experiences in collecting "CC" coins, and we will discuss club matters in general. As time permits (1 1/2 hour meeting) we will have a "show and tell" session which will allow members to show or describe their favorite "CC" coins.

We'll have good fellowship and a good time. Please try to attend if possible.

COIN WORLD ARTICLE ABOUT THE "CC" MINT

2008-06-30T23:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings C4OA members. I just recieved my new issue of coin world today (July 7, 2008) and read with interest a nice article (page 77) written by CW staff member Cindy Brake. she makes many references to quotes by our own Rusty Goe. she also mentions his great book James Crawford Master of the Mint at Carson City - A Short Full Life. At the end of her 2nd paragraph in the article, Cindy mistakenly states that "In total 57 different coins would be issued" ( by the Carson mint). Of course we all know that 57 coins is the correct total for the three gold denominations but she was refering to the total gold and silver coin output which we also all know to be 111 coins. Other than that, Cindy wrote a nice article here and provided some nice pictures as well. those include: The "CC" mint circa 1879, weighing scales housed in the NV State Museum, obverse & reverse of an 1870-CC seated dollar - 1884-CC $20 - 1870-CC $20 - 1876-CC twenty center & the one and only (as in unique) 1873-CC without arrows dime. All in all, a nice article by Cindy.

Second 1873-CC No Arrows?

2008-06-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Has anyone gotten to the bottom of the "phantom" 1873-CC No Arrows dime that appeared in the PCGS population report a few years ago? The last thing I read about it was Rusty Goe's article in the E-Sylum Volume 6, Number 24 on June 15, 2003.

Any updates?

1870-CC DOUBLE EAGLE IN NGC XF-40 BRINGS $299,000

2008-06-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday evening June 25, 2008 in New York City, an 1870-CC $20 gold piece graded XF-40 by NGC sold for $299,000 ($260,000 hammer price). Pre-sale estimates suggested that this coin might bring in excess of $325,000. In fact, a poll conducted on C4OA's blogsite resulted in a majority opinion of a price realized of $350,000 or higher.

This specimen of the rarest date/denomination in the "CC" gold coin series was featured in Stack's Husky sale which included a fine assortment of U.S. gold pieces.

1870-CC DOUBLE EAGLE DIE VARIETY 1-A EXPLAINED

2008-06-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

This posting is in response to several questions about the 1-A Die variety on 1870-CC $20 gold pieces.

There are two known die varieties for this date, the 1-A and 2-B. The purpose of these designations is to point out distinctive characteristics displayed on each variety.

The Die 1-A variety features a large date with bold details. As seen in the arrow in the image to the left, the "1" in "1870" is near Liberty's neck. The arrow to the right shows the location of the small mintmark in relation to the bottom of the eagle's tailfeathers and the letters NT in TWENTY.

The location of the date and mintmark on the Die 2-B variety is noticeably different.

It's unknown which die variety the Carson Mint first used, although my guess is the 1-A.

Question on the 1870 CC

2008-06-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

The Husky description refers to Dies 1-A. Can anyone discuss that? How many dies were there? How they are different? Were 1 and A the first die combination used?

GREAT NEW CURRY'S CHRONICLE

2008-06-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you C4OA members for another great issue of Curry's Chronicle. Wonderful articles by all (with a special thanks to Otto for your flattering reference to "the Drummer"!) The printers even got this one right...this time! Keep up the good work everyone. I still say the HUSKY 1870-CC double eagle XF-40 goes for close to 400K. We'll wait and see.

1870 CC Double Eagle

2008-06-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

I noticed there is a poll here about how much a mint state 1870-CC Double Eagle would sell for. I see that in the Husky Collection, being sold by Stacks on June 25, there is an 1870-CC Double Eagle Dies 1-A graded NGC EF-40.

The Bergstrom Collection, also being sold by Stacks on June 25 has two 1871-CC double eagles, PCI AU50 "cleaned" and a raw EF-45. Also 5 1872-CC double eagles. Plenty of other CC double eagles including an NGC MS-62 1875-CC.

1875 S/CC Trade Dollars

2008-06-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed all the articles on Trade Dollars in the Summer 2008 issue, since I do not have any, and it is the only silver dollar issue I have not studied in any detail on my own. Comments by Member 0077 that he owns 107 CC Trade Dollars and 3 1875 S/CC dollars got me to recall that Bowers and Merena once had two of the 1875 S/CC listed for sale in the Rare Coin Review some time ago, possibly 1999. Both were chopmarked. I should have bought one then! But at the time I was just getting acquanted with CC dollars and was concentrating on acquiring the Morgans. The Summer 2008 issue was one of the best yet, by the way.

QUESTION FOR CARSON-ITE

2008-05-18T00:22:00.000-07:00

A question for Carson-ite: Did "jimmiekeyes" ever come through with verification of a previously unknown 1876-CC twenty cent piece?

Thru the Grapvine: GSA prices

2008-05-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone:

My favorite coins have been CC Morgan Dollars that were encapsulated and sold by the GSA in the early 1970s. Long time observers of this part of the numismatic universe have noted that the advent of third-party encapsulation and grading has created a new collecting arena where GSA specialists are seeking high grade dollars that are STILL encapsulated in the original GSA packaging. The reasons for this are too numerous to recite in a blog (see my article in the second issue of C4oA's journal, Curry's Chronicle, fall 2005).

I want to start an infrequently updated 'heard-it-thru-the-grapevine' report on the prices that GSA dollars are commanding today as an aid for other collectors who (like me) need accurate approximations for current values.

My sources are anonymous but reputable, and I have verified to the best of my ability that the transactions are real. I am only the reporter and the names of the dealers and owners are anonymous and will never be divulged.

Also, for obvious reasons, this log cannot be a complete market survey. More reports and rumors are always welcomed.

Mitchell

Here are some recent transactions:

December 2007

1883CC GSA NGC MS-65DPL - $2400
Comment: This date and grade is the most common GSA coin found in NGC MS-65DPL (NGC population count - 54).

April 2008

1885CC GSA NGC MS-66DPL - $25,000
Comment: This coin is the highest graded 1885 deep mirror proof-like and is the only coin graded at this level.

May 2008

1890CC GSA NGC MS65 - $47,500+
Comment: This coin is the highest graded 1890CC and it is the only example graded at this level.

National Coin Week in Northern Nevada

2008-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

A Town Coined Carson City Mint offers events celebrating National Coin Week

Andrew Pridgen Nevada Appeal Staff Writer

April 22, 2008

Even during the most difficult economic times, someone's making money.

This adage couldn't be more true, both literally and figuratively than it is this week in Carson City.

As area numismatists are already well aware, this is National Coin Week.

Whether you're looking through loose change for a newly minted Nevada state quarter or you're Rusty Goe, owner of Reno-based Southgate Coins - who last week purchased an 1871 gold piece struck at the Carson City mint for $414,000 this week is literally one for the books for coin collectors.

"I think it's a (hobby) that's really starting to pick up a lot of new enthusiasts," Goe said. "We have such a wide variety of customers. We have children on a budget, and we stock items to get kids started. And we have long-time collectors who have coins worth tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars."

No matter the collector's experience level, Goe said, one lesson is learned quickly for Northern Nevada hobbyists:"Carson City is more than a special place," he said. "For many, it's the epicenter of their coin world."

The Carson City Mint's Coin Press No. 1 operated continuously from 1870-85 and again from 1889-93, according to the Nevada State Museum. It has also operated on a limited basis over the years, producing coins for three years beginning in 1964, and was again pressed into service to make bicentennial medals in 1976, according to the museum.

This year's coin week is celebrated through Saturday at the Nevada State Museum.
Events range from a display of coins of the Comstock, to the operation of Historic Coin Press No. 1.

"It just so happens that this year's national coin week does take on special meaning here," said Bob Nylen, the museum's curator of history. "This is our (city's) 150th anniversary. And the mint is such an integral part of what put Carson on the map."

Tonight at 7:30, Nylen will give a lecture on Abraham Curry, one of Carson City's founding fathers who is credited as being instrumental in bringing the mint here and served as its first director.

"Coin (week) is a natural time to moment Carson's place in history -and Curry embodies that," Nylen said. "Though he died at 58, he lived to see his dream, to see the community develop and grow - to get a mint here."

Goe underscored the importance of having the mint in his "backyard" to the health of his business.

"It really means a lot to me," he said. "All the publicity the mint can get is not just good for my business - it's good for Carson City.

"I (know) the convention and visitors bureau was trying to decide how to brand Carson City and I'm thinking, 'what about the mint?' When people see a coin with the double 'cc' stamp on it - especially those famous silver dollars - they get a look back in the past, a look back on the gilded age of thin country. They get a peek into the last quarter of the 19th century: the Comstock Lode, Mark Twain, the railroads ... the gold rush. These coins have preserved that history."

The museum's collection of Carson City mint coins feature 109 of 111 coins that make up the entire set.

The coins have attracted international interest.

"I put out a quarterly newsletter just on Carson City coins [Curry’s Chronicle] and it even goes to Japan. You can't tell me there isn't a great interest," Goe said.

Though the mint has been dormant for more than a century, its legacy belies the dollar's recent tumble.

Carson City silver dollars, some 2.9 million of which the government put up for sale to collectors from 1972-80, now range in price from $210 to more than $450,000.

"The saying when they were released in the '70s was '90 percent silver, 100 percent history,'" Goe said. "Now if that isn't a slogan for Carson City, I don't know what is."

• Contact reporter Andrew Pridgen at apridgen@nevadaappeal.com or (775) 881-1219.

National Coin Week at a glance:

Tonight: Bob Nylen, curator of history, speaking on Abraham Curry, founder and promoter of Carson City from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at the museum.

Thursday: Local coin dealer and author Rusty Goe will give a lecture on favorite forms of recreation and entertainment in Carson City during the mint's glory years: 7 p.m. at the Carson City Library, 900 Roop St.

Friday: The museum's Historic Coin Press No. 1 will operate in celebration of National Coin Week at 11:30 a.m. A special commemorative medallion will be minted in honor of the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Fallon. In the afternoon, a new Liberty Bell .999-fine silver medallion will be minted for the first time to commemorate the Fey Family slot machine collection, which is on display at the museum.

"CC" COINS IN THE AUCTION PLACE

2008-04-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

Heritage Auction Galleries in conjunction with the Central States Numismatic Society will host a five session auction April 16, 17 & 18, 2008 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL. Some great "CC" coins will be up for auction. The prices realized will offer us an up to date value reality for our favorite coins..."CC" of course!
Here is a listing of the six "CC" coins on the block:

1. 1872-CC Seated Dime PCGS VF-25 Lot# 562
2. 1874-CC Seated Dime NGC G-4 Lot# 2264
3. 1875-CC $10 Eagle PCGS AU-55 Lot# 2475
4. 1871-CC $20 Dbl Eagle NGC MS-64 Lot# 2500
5. 1892-CC $20 Dbl Eagle PCGS MS-63 Lot# 2504
6. 1872-CC Seated Dollar NGC MS-64 Lot# 2133

For more info, contact Heritage at: (800) 872-6467
or email at: bid@ha.com

2008 Renewals

2008-04-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Renewal Season Is Here!

Renewal notices were sent out to all members whose membership in the Carson City Coin Collectors of America club expires June 30, 2008. The one year subscription to Curry’s Chronicle, the club’s quarterly journal, ends with the summer 2008 edition, which is due out the first of June.

There are 255 members in the club who are up for renewals this year. If you are one of those members, please remit your dues to our club treasurer as soon as possible to ensure that you do not miss any issue of the Curry’s Chronicle and lose your membership status in the club’s roster.

Please make your $20* check or money order payable to CCCCOA and mail to:

Treasurer
P.O. Box 16776
Boise, ID 83715-6776

If you have any questions regarding your membership status please contact Amy Williams at (775) 322-4455.

Please send those dues in today!

*International members owe $40 a year. Members from Canada owe $25 a year.

Lincoln coin show

2008-04-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

I went to a coin show over the weekend. It's interesting what you can find at coin show. One coin dealer had a 1890 tail bar but it looked like somebody polished in on a buffing wheel!! I think the dealer knew he had a lemon. I hope no one buys this coin. Then another dealer had a 1872 "CC" eagle in a slab that had been cleaned it was a nice looking coin, It's too bad because the coin loses half it's value. There was a nice display of gsa dollars all graded by ngc the coins that stood out were the 79 "CC" and the 91"CC".

Counterfeit PCGS and NGC slabs

2008-04-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

The comment that Mike made about counterfeit pcgs and ngc slabs coming from China shocked me. We will have to be more careful about the coins we purchase.

A GREAT "MUST READ" ARTICLE

2008-03-28T10:17:00.001-07:00

Greetings to all "CC" fans. There is an article that I consider "must reading" for all coin collectors. It was written by Rusty Goe and is entitled "Not all Coin Dealers Struck from Same Die: A Primer on Particular Types of Professional Numismatists" To view this special article, click on this link: http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=20108&f5=1

After you read this, post a comment. I would love to hear what your thoughts are regarding this subject.

Do "CC" Coins Get Melted

2008-03-21T20:44:00.000-07:00

With the recent rise in gold and silver prices alot of common date coins get melted, one wonders if any carson city coins get melted I hope not. But I think that coins that are damaged or badly worn do get melted. By the way I got a silver quarter and dime as change I couldn't belive that silver coins still circulated!!!

Spring Issue Mailed

2008-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

Spring 2008 Curry’s Chronicle Has Been Released!

The eleventh issue of the award-winning Curry’s Chronicle has been released and should be reaching Carson City Coin Collectors of America club members shortly. Thanks always to the members who volunteered to submit articles and letters to the editor. We appreciate members stepping forward and volunteering in that fashion. And as always, we ask our members to consider writing something for the next summer issue of the journal. You do not have to be a professional writer of any sorts to contribute. For more information regarding submissions and deadlines please refer to your new spring 2008 chronicle. If you require further assistance or want to pass an article idea by me, feel free to email me at mariesgate@sbcglobal.net or call me at (775) 322-4455 and I will be happy to assist you.

Typo Announcement and a Solution
There's one additional item that I would also like to address. When you receive the latest issue of Curry's Chronicle you'll notice two obvious TYPOs on the front cover and the title page. The printing company that produces our journal screwed up, and as a result, instead of it reading “Spring 2008” on the front cover and the title page, it reads “Winter 2008.” We were shocked by the mistake made by our printer. But they have apologized for their carelessness and in order to remedy the errors they have created replacement stickers that read “Spring 2008,” which you will place over the “Winter 2008” mistake on your journal.

These replacement stickers will be mailed along with important renewal information to each member within the next six weeks. So, don't flip out when you see the typos, and just hold tight and we'll get the correct information on your journal before summer arrives.

And, just as a reminder, the $20 annual membership dues entitles you to a year's subscription to Curry’s Chronicle. The schedule of release for these journals is as follows:

1. Spring issue mailed out the first of March
2. Summer issue mailed out the first of June
3. Fall issue mailed out the first of September
4. Winter issue mailed out the first of December

Hope everyone enjoys reading their spring journal. I expect to see some blogs written on this site sharing about what you've learned!

-Amy
C4OA Membership Services

"CC" COINS IN THE AUCTION PLACE

2008-02-12T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Queller Family Collection of silver dollars will be sold at the Heritage Central States Platinum Night Auction, April 16-19, 2008 in Rosemont, Illinois. "CC" coins represented in this auction include:
1. 1870-CC Seated Dollar NGC MS-60
2. 1871-CC Seated Dollar NGC AU-58
3. 1872-CC Seated Dollar NGC MS-64
4. 1873-CC Seated Dollar NGC AU-55
5. 1874-CC Trade Dollar NGC MS-64
6. 1876-CC Trade Dollar - Doubled Die Reverse NGC MS-61
7. 1876-CC Trade Dollar NGC MS-62
8. 1877-CC Trade Dollar NGC MS-63
This is one of those very rare times when you will encounter the four "CC" seated dollar issues for sale at the same time. Get 'em while the gettings good!

Important News Regarding Annual Club Meeting at ANA Convention

2008-02-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Carson City Coin Collectors of America club members,

It is that time once again to start making plans to attend the annual general meeting for the C4OA which is going to be held at the summer ANA Convention in Baltimore, MD. Please mark your calendars for:

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2008 at 1:00 P.M.

for the C4oA general meeting in Room 319 at the Baltimore Convention Center (One West Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21201).

Please contact the ANA for more information regarding hotel reservations and travel plans at (719) 482-9857 or email them at convention@money.org. It is suggested that you make your plans early, as rooms do fill-up fast.

We hope that everyone is able to make it the C4OA general meeting to have questions answered and suggestions heard.

Any additional questions related to this or any other club event, please contact me at (775) 322-4455 or email me at mariesgate@sbcglobal.net.

See you in Baltimore!,

Amy

C4OA Membership Records

The future of 'CC' coins

2008-02-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

To all 'CC' collectors; I feel that now is the time to get the coins that you need for your collections, because it will be only a matter time before we see huge price increases. I really like the gold series: mainly the double eagles. Good luck to all collectors in their quest for those 'cc' coins.

1870-CC $20 GOLD PIECE BRINGS QUARTER MILLION $$S

2008-02-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

An 1870-CC gold double eagle graded XF-40 (non-certified) sold for $253,000 at Stack's Americana sale in New York City on January 16. This example of the key date in the "CC" $20 gold series is not visually attractive, and has not even been graded by a third-party service, which makes its price realized even more astonishing. 1870-CC $20 gold piece from Stack's Americana sale, 1-16-08.

This strong showing further illustrates the perpetually-increasing demand for rare "CC" issues. We can only imagine what this same coin would have fetched if it had been graded XF-40 or XF-45 by PCGS or NGC. It seems plausible that the winning bid would have cracked the $300,000 barrier. This is all so mind-bending, since it was only about seven or eight years ago that 1870-CC double eagles in any grade were just barely crossing the six-figure level. And, to add more perspective to the sale of this specific 70-CC $20 gold piece, the same coin sold for $20,900 back in 1987 at another Stack's January auction. If its consignor in 2008 is the same person who purchased it in 1987, he or she should be very pleased, don't you think?

The way this current auction season is shaping up, "CC" coins of all types, dates and grades, are sure to garner their share of attention. Stay tuned.

SIX CC $20 BEAUTIES FROM THE RICH UHRICH COLLECTION

2008-02-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

"Hear ye, hear ye" all "CC" fans. Six beautiful "CC" gold double eagles are on the auction block. From the Rich Uhrich Collection:
(1.) 1872-CC NGC AU-58
(2.) 1873-CC NGC AU-58
(3.) 1875-CC NGC MS-63 (only two graded finer by NGC)
(4.) 1885-CC PCGS MS-61
(5.) 1891-CC NGC MS-62 (none graded finer by NGC)
(6.) 1892-CC PCGS MS-62.
These fabulous bad boys will be auctioned by Stacks at the February 26-27, 2008 Baltimore Sale. It is my hope that a member of our C4OA will score at least one or two of these. Since I probably won't be able to get them, maybe we could keep them in the family so-to-speak. Let me know what you think. Members, leave your comments!

RECORD PRICE REALIZED FOR PROOF 1876-CC DIME

2008-01-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

It's all about respect. Either the numismatic community believes that a certain coin is rare and worthy of high value or it doesn't. The 1876-CC branch mint Proof dime has finally earned its distinction as a genuine American classic rarity, as it transcended the price scale to the next level, shattering all pre-sale estimates. The winning bidder chunked down $178,250 for the 1876-CC Liberty Seated dime certified as a PR-65 by PCGS in Superior's Elite Coin Auction held in Orlando, Florida on January 5, 2008. The consignor of this special coin posted a hefty reserve before the sale, which if satisfied, would ensure that a new record would be established. One by one bidders dropped out of contention, until at the end it was between two stalwarts, neither of whom wished to concede victory to the other. A second-to-last bid of $150,000 was trumped by one of $155,000, thus ending the contest. Add another $23,250 in buyer's fees to the hammer and you've got the final price realized.

Previous sales of any of the reported Proof or Specimen strike 1876-CC dimes approached the $50,000 mark, which is certainly an impressive level. But now the roof has been raised, and just as the 1893-CC Proof Morgan dollars at one time needed to prove that they were worthy of breaking the six-figure barrier, the specially-struck 1876-CC dimes will now be accepted into an exclusive club in which rarity engenders accolades.

This is a monumental day for the Carson City series and we offer our hearty salute in honor of the occasion. And, by the way, congratulations to the dime's new owner.

Happy New Year "CC" Enthusiasts!

2008-01-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

What does the year 2008 have in store for all of us who treasure Carson City coins? Time will only tell, but before we ponder the future let us reflect on the past. Aside from it being the 150th anniversary of the founding of Carson City, it has been 138 years since the Carson City Mint released its first coins (1870-CC Liberty Seated silver dollars), and 115 years since it issued its last coins (1893-CC Morgan silver dollars). In between those two landmark years, the Carson Mint manufactured approximately 56.6 million coins consisting of ten different types; seven of which were struck in silver, and three of which were struck in gold.

According to my best estimates, no more than 4.5 million of these coins survived to the present day; and approximately 4.2 million of these are represented by the Morgan silver dollars. This means that there are no more than a combined total of 300,000 of all the other nine types of coins in existence.

Some of these we know are extremely scarce, with the 1873-CC Without Arrows dime sitting at the top of the rarity scale with only one known survivor. Next in line is the sister to the Unique dime, the 1873-CC Without Arrows quarter, with only five known survivors. And not too distant down the scale is the 1876-CC twenty-cent piece, with its estimated surviving population of eighteen or nineteen specimens. These are the three coins many of us dream of owning, but only a few of us ever will own.

So, we've got our mega-rarities, but then there are many other coins bearing the "CC" mintmark which run the gamut of price categories. As all members of C4OA have observed in the pages of Curry's Chronicle, there are categories of "CC" coins to fit everyone's taste and budget. Some of us can derive just as much pleasure from owning an 1876-CC quarter in Fine condition, or an 1882-CC silver dollar in MS-60, as others do owning one of the elite coins in the Carson City series.

I invite any of you that have not already done so to submit an article or a letter to the editor in which you describe your favorite "CC" coin or coins, for publication in Curry's Chronicle. The stories behind the coins and the testimonies of those who own them are part of the fascination we have with collecting them.

As for what this new year holds for all of us "CC" enthusiasts we might be given a foretaste during the January auctions. Certainly the spotlight will shine on some of the more notable issues from our beloved mint. Consider for instance, the 1876-CC Proof Liberty Seated dime for sale in Superior's auction. It is catalogued as the only such specimen in existence, although we know that this may only be a matter of semantics, since NGC lists four Specimen Strike 1876-CC dimes in its census report. Regardless of the terminology employed in describing these special dimes, we know that they are rare, and that whenever one of them sells, there's usually big bucks involved. Superior estimates that their Proof 1876-CC dime might fetch $100,000. If it does, it will set a record for this variety. Let's wait and see.

Then there's the finest known example of an 1873-CC gold half eagle, graded PCGS MS-62, scheduled to appear in Heritage's FUN sale during the second week of January. The consignor placed a $90,000 reserve on this rare little devil. Will he get it?

During the following week, Stack's is offering a Circulated example of an 1870-CC gold double eagle, which their cataloguer describes as an XF-40 piece (it's not certified). With what these bad babies have been bringing recently it will be interesting to see what this uncertified specimen realizes. Stay tuned.

There are numerous other "CC" coins scheduled for the auction block in January and after the dust settles, we should have a clear idea of how strong this market is. What are your predictions.

Let's make 2008 the year that C4OA's blogsite emerged as an active, highly interactive platform. Get involved. Submit something. Make it one of your New Year's resolutions to be a player and not just a spectator.

Merry Christmas To All

2007-12-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all C4OA Members!

Every time one Family Member asks me what I wish for Christmas, I want to scream out: A CARSON CITY COIN! Watching the last two postings, my kids would have to sell their houses to grant my wish!

I admire the Registry Sets and the Super Rarities, put please let's put some "CC" coins on the wish list. I can see Rusty Goe as Santa coming down the chimney and sprinkling some "good," some "fine," and of course some "very fine" "CC" presents into these stockings!

They don't demand that you hawk your wife and kids and they can start a child's interest on a road of total satisfaction in numismatics!

How do you do that? When I was young I couldn't imagine getting coins instead of toys or clothes. But today, the statehood quarter and presidential dollar issues give every one of us a reason every day to distribute these coins. Instead of dollar bills I get these new coinage issues at the bank and give them out. The faces the people make when they get one speak volumes! Maybe, just maybe, one of them will start collecting coins!

Great! Now us C4OA people are of course of the connoisseur "species" and that's well deserved!

Happy "CC" collecting in 2008!

RARE CC PROOF DIME IN SUPERIOR ORLANDO SALE

2007-11-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

All CC fans! A rare 1876-CC Seated Liberty Proof dime will be sold in the Orlando Elite Auction January 5-6, 2008 by Superior Galleries. The coin is a PCGS Proof-65 and is the only specimen certified by PCGS. There are four known in NGC holders and one raw specimen in the Smithsonian Institute collection. Close inspection by the catalogers shows multiple impressions of the coining dies on a specially polished planchet. The coin exhibits "blue green & overlaying dove grey" toning on both sides giving it a fully original appearance. It is unknown as to why any Proof dimes were struck at the CC mint. Possibilities include presentation to dignitaries or perhaps an unofficial commemoration of the U.S. Centennial. The coin is in an old PCGS green holder. I certainly want to keep an eye on the auction of this special coin. Oh! What a coin to have!

"CC" GOLD FROM THE ELIASBERG SALE IN 1982

2007-11-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

Twenty-five years ago, part one of the most famous collection of U.S. coins of all time sold at a Bowers and Ruddy auction in New York City. Billed at the time as "The United States Gold Coin Collection," everyone knew that these coins once belonged to Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., and were now part of the estate he left to his family when he died in 1976. An example of every known date/denomination combination from the U.S. gold coin series was represented in this sale. Two special coins, an 1870-S three dollar gold piece and an 1822 gold half eagle, set new price records when they sold for $687,500 each. All told, the aggregate prices realized for the sale totaled just under $12.5 million, establishing another new record.

While none of the "CC" coins from this sale achieved such lofty price levels as the record-setters, there were some incredible specimens offered. The absolutely finest "CC" gold coin in the auction was the amazing 1876-CC half eagle, listed in the catalog as an MS-65, and realizing the top price in the "CC" category at $26,400. Today, this awesome piece is encapsulated in a PCGS MS-66 holder, and would probably bring at least ten times what it sold for back in 1982 if it were offered for sale.

Other Carson City gold coin highlights from the Eliasberg sale, held between October 27 and 29, are as follows: (Prices realized are in parentheses)

1870-CC $5, catalogued as a VF-30, but easily an XF-45 by today's standards - ($2,420)

1892-CC $5, catalogued as an MS-65, but now in an NGC MS-66 holder - ($4,400)

1870-CC $10, catalogued as a VF-20, but probably at least an XF-40 - ($3,575)

1874-CC $10, catalogued as an MS-63, and now in a PCGS MS-63 holder - ($17,600)

1879-CC $10, catalogued as a VF-30, but probably closer to an XF-45 - ($3,575)

1881-CC $10, catalogued as an MS-63, but now in an NGC MS-64 holder - ($3,800)
(Recently sold for $74,750 at auction.)

1892-CC $10, catalogued as an MS-65 to MS-67, now a PCGS MS-64 - ($9,900)

1870-CC $20, catalogued as a VF-30, but probably closer to XF-45 - ($22,000)

1890-CC $20, catalogued as an MS-63, and no doubt deservingly so - ($2,970)

______________________

If you do the math on all of the above "CC" gold coins from the Eliasberg collection concerning their present values, you will discover that they have all appreciated in multiples of between ten and twenty times what they sold for back in 1982. The question is, where do we go from here? Will 2007 appear to collectors in 2032 as the "good old days" of pricing for "CC" gold issues? I think all of us can agree that 1982 sure appears that way right now.

COIN WORLD COVERS CURRY'S CHRONICLE FALL 2007 ISSUE

2007-11-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings C4OA members. Have you checked out this issue of Coin World (Mon. Nov. 12, 2007)? Please do! On page 95 you will see a very nice review of the last issue (Fall 2007) of The Curry's Chronicle. The main theme of the review covers Ryan Baum's challenge medal (replicas with the reverse based off of Morgan dollars struck at the CC mint) specially made for each one of the sailors serving under him in Iraq. The obverse of his battalion coin proudly shows Teddy Roosevelt & the Romeo Rough Rider emblem. Also included are short but sweet reviews of our treasurer Paul Sudmeier's 4 coin 1893-CC final year of production set and My (Michael Parrott) 19 piece "real world" set of CC $5 gold half eagles. Now C4OA members who contribute articles to our Curry's Chronicle can get reviewed in a big time world publication like Coin World magazine! Way to go!!! Now...your turn!

CCCCOA MEMBER SUPPORT

2007-10-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

DEAR VISITORS & DEAR MEMBERS,

AS VISITOR, YOU ARE WELCOME TO COMMENT ON ANY OF THE POSTS!

AS MEMBER, YOU ARE WELCOME TO SIGN-UP AS A BLOGSITE CONTRIBUTOR AND POST YOUR OWN ARTICLES OF INTEREST (INCLUDING UP TO 3 PICTURES) RELATING TO COLLECTING OF CARSON CITY COINS!

AS A MEMBER, TO GET THINGS ROLLING, YOU NEED TO SEND AN EMAIL TO: CCCCOA.SUPPORT@gmail.com REQUESTING AN INVITATION. (REMEMBER: INVITATIONS TO BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR ARE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY.)

MEMBERS: JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE BLOGSITE AFTER YOU FOLLOW THE LINK TO YOUR INVITATION. SHOULD YOU ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS, YOU ARE WELCOME TO REQUEST MY PHONE NUMBER AND I OR ONE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS WILL MORE THAN GLADLY HELP YOU!

THANKS & HAPPY BLOGGING,

CCCCOA.SUPPORT

BOOKS-BOOKS!

2007-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

THERE ARE NUMEROUS BOOKS ON THE MARKET ABOUT OUR CARSON CITY COIN COLLECTING HOBBY.

RUSTY HAS TWO VOLUMES (AWARD WINING) MUST READS!
-THE MINT ON CARSON STREET
-JAMES CRAWFORD: MASTER OF THE MINT AT CARSON CITY.

I ALSO LIKE BOOKS WRITTEN ABOUT THE COMSTOCK LODE. EVERY TIME I PASS BY VIRGINIA CITY, I VISIT THE MARK TWAIN BOOKSTORE.

"Mark Twain may have defined a literary classic as 'a book which people praise and don't read,'" writes Cynthia Kennedy of Virginia City, "but this shop holds thousands of books people DO read. A creaking boardwalk leads to this mother lode of Nevada history, including photos and artifacts left from when the shop was the Mark Twain Museum of Memories." http://www.marktwainbooks.com/

GO CHECK IT OUT NEXT TIME YOU'RE THERE! YOU WONT REGRET IT.

SIERRABIKER

RECORD PRICE SET FOR 1876-CC TWENTY-CENT PIECE

2007-10-17T17:53:00.000-07:00

A new record price was established for an 1876-CC twenty-cent piece at the Stack's 72nd Anniversary Sale held in New York on Wedsnesday, October 17, 2007. The price realized for this coin, graded MS-64 by PCGS, was $350,750. The bidding opened at $220,000 and immediately a flurry of hands went up. At the end, two bidders battled back and forth until one of them dropped out at the $300,000 level. The winning bid was $305,000 plus the fifteen percent buyer's fee of $45,750.

Prior to this record-setting event, the most recent sales of 1876-CC twenty-centers were of MS-66 specimens, with prices realized in the $250,000 range.

BOOK REVIEW: JAMES CRAWFORD "A SHORT FULL LIFE"

2007-10-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hi to all C4OA members. You might be interested to know that in this month's issue (Oct. 2007) of the Numismatist (The A.N.A. Monthly publication), there is a very nice review of Rusty Goe's wonderful book "JAMES CRAWFORD Master of the Mint at Carson City - A short full life". Rusty's book is sure to capture many awards and is must reading for all C4OA members and Carson City coin fans. The Numismatist review is short but sweet and is among the first of many positive reviews that will undoubtedly be forthcoming.

1871-CC $5 Gold PCGS VF-25 Var. Winter 1-B

2007-10-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

In the last issue of Curry's Chronicle there was an article by John W. McCloskey (RM-0188) entitled "A RARITY STUDY FOR 1871-CC HALF EAGLES". In the article he meticulously describes the known die varieties of this date. Please refer to his article for the descriptions. There are about 140 to 175 known survivors* in all grades and aproximately 70% of these are Var. 1-A.** Much rarer are the varieties 1-B & 1-C. They each represent about 15% of the surving total. Thanks to John's enlightening article, I have made the wonderful discovery that I have one of the rare 1871-CC $5 die varieties in my collection; in this case a Var. 1-B (again, only 15% of this date's total survivors are of this variety). My coin is a PCGS VF-25 in an old green holder, and I thought I would give everyone a view. My "hats off" to John McCloskey for the great article. It would be nice to see future "Curry's" articles on the die varieties of these low survivor population coins.

*Survivor figures from "Mint on Carson Street" - Rusty Goe **Varieties 1-A & 1-B attributed to Doug Winter & Lawrence Cutler

Problem Coins

2007-10-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

When does a really rare coin

that is also a problem coin

cease to be desirable?

With all the hoopla surrounding the registry set craze and certified coins in general, the hobby normally discounts coins with problems. Currently there are no set standards to the price deductions of coins based on the degree of the problem. Coins that don't make it into one holder as a problem coin, may make it into another holder as a good coin. The problem may be "barely detectable" as with a light old cleaning, to quite bad as would be the case for a coin that was holed or damaged.

If the coin is an 1884 CC Morgan dollar with a problem, it's easy to pass, because a nicer coin can be found immediately at nearly every dealer's shop, show or auction house. But, if the coin happens to be a desirable rarity such as an 1870 cc quarter or 1873 cc dollar that's cleaned, how would you value it? Or, would you just pass knowing that these coins rarely surface. Please comment.

1873-CC With Arrows dime with porous surfaces on obverse.

The 1875-S/CC Trade Dollar

2007-10-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

I have a couple questions about the 1875-S/CC trade dollar. Is this an expensive coin to buy? How many of these coins exist? I think that this would be a great coin to have.

A Question for CC coin experts

2007-09-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a question about CC coins I get asked from time to time and I'm not exactly sure what or how to answer. Can anyone out there help with this question. here 'tis: There are 2 types of 1880-CC Morgan Dollars; the 1880-CC with the rev. of 79 & the 1880-CC rev. of 78 (sometimes an 1880/79-CC rev. of 78). These are two completely different reverses much like the 1875-CC Seated Dime. One version of that dime is the 1875-CC with CC above the bow and the 2nd version with the CC below but both issue types share the same obverse (just like the 1880 Morgans do). Those 2 issues constitute 2 different "types" turning a complete set of CC coins from 110 to 111 coins. Why then should the 1880-CC Morgan be treated any different? Why should there not be then 112 coins in a complete set of CC coins? If anyone can help answer this, please post a reply. All answers appreciated.

My Two New "CC" Coins

2007-09-25T15:00:00.001-07:00

I've got 2 new coins to show: 1. 1876-CC $10 PCGS XF-45 I got right before the CC coin show 2007 and the 2nd, An 1878-CC Morgan PCGS MS-64 I got at the show. Both were purchased from the good guys at Southgate. The 1876-CC $10 is from a low mintage of only 4,696 and there are only about 135 to 155 known survivors (all grades). The 1878-CC Morgan is more available however this is a truly high end MS-64. I am very happy with both of these beauties.

Here are the pics of my 2 new coins (The Drummer 0023):

Colorful "CC" Show Finds

2007-09-25T08:38:00.000-07:00

While traveling through Cincinatti Ohio this past week I had the opportunity to stop off at a Great coin show at the Sharonville Convention Center. Nice "CC" Coins are tough to find even at the larger shows but with a little time and searching a few deals may just come your way. Interestingly enough, the two coins I did purchase came by asking dealers if they had any Carson City coins tucked away any place and sure enough each of the dealers reached behind their tables and searched through their stock to produce what would be my only two purchases from the show.

First I saw a Beautiful Blue-, Green-, and Purple-colored 82-CC Morgan Dollar ANACS graded MS63, the dealer came down to 275 dollars, and a bit later in the show
another dealer sold me a nice original 77-CC
Quarter ANACS graded VG8 for just 22 Bucks! Who could pass up a deal like that? So it never hurts to ask a dealer if they have other "CC" Treats or Tricks up their coin box sleeves!

CC coins - CC coin show

2007-09-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of my CC $5 gold half eagles plus some nice pics of Rusty Goe at the James Crawford book signing at the CC mint coin show Aug. 25, 2007. Also are a few pics of the Comstock region, the Southgate crew and a few other goodies. let me know if you like them.
View pictures at: http://thedrummer.myphotoalbum.com

CC coins at shows/auctions

2007-09-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

ALL C4OA MEMBERS Keep an eye out for any and all nice CC coins that hit the market (at shows or auctions). I invite all members to send in their CC findings to this site - post your own blog. This site is such a special gift for us and we can use it to our advantage.

Great News "Curry's Chronicle" Readers!

2007-09-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

The Numismatic Literary Guild has released the winners of the annual writer’s competition for 2007, and guess what fabulous club made the list? That’s right, our very own Carson City Coin Collectors of America Club!

We actually won two awards out of the three offered for small publications in the category of Non-Profit or Club Numismatic Magazines. The first is Best Issue, Small Publication for the Winter 2006 edition of the journal. As well as Best Article, Small Publication for Rusty Goe’s article on Value-Added Coins from the Carson City Mint which appeared in the Fall 2006 journal.

C4OA members alike should all take pride in this wonderful news from the NLG. Being awarded two out of the three awards in the respected category says a lot about the quality of our publications and the members who contribute to it. So with that I say, “Congratulations!!!”

To view all the winners included in this year’s writing competition please visit the NLG website at http://www.numismaticliteraryguild.org/.

Amy Williams, Membership Services

Comstock/Carson Mint Seminar October 5,7 2006

2007-09-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

To all c4oa members you can view my photos at http://jshusker.myphotoalbum.com enjoy!

What is Your Favorite "CC" Coin?

2007-09-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite coin from the Carson City Mint, and why? Please click on "Comments" below and post your answer.

C4OA @ THE CARSON CITY COIN SHOW

2007-08-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Maya, Amy, Rusty & Marie

Tom Defina

Tony, Otto, Tom & Rusty

Sonja & Rusty

Michael & Joanne

Tony & Amy

LAST WEEKEND 8-25-26-2007 AT THE CARSON CITY COIN SHOW

SOME C4OA MEMBERS MET FOR AN INFORMAL GET-TOGETHER! TOM DEFINA ONCE MORE TRAVELED THE CONTINENT TO ENJOY THE CAMARADERIE AND CLUB ATMOSPHERE!

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE AT THE POST-SHOW DINNER WERE:

RUSTY AND MARIE GOE, WITH AMY AND MAYA FROM SOUTHGATE COINS, TONY AND MARYANN ARNOLD, MICHAEL AND JOANNE PARROTT, AND RICHARD AND MARIE BISHOP. ALSO ME, OTTO KLAY.

SOME GREAT STORIES WERE TOLD!!

WE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE RUSTY ON HIS NEW BOOK ABOUT JAMES CRAWFORD!! WE HEAR THE BOOK SIGNING WAS A SUCCESS!

WAY TO GO RUSTY, WHATS NEXT??

Carson Mint/Comstock Seminar Images - October 2006

2007-08-15T16:07:00.001-07:00

Carson Mint/Comstock Seminar, More Images - October 2006

2007-08-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Group seated for dinner
at Adele's in Carson City

Rusty and chef at Adele's Restaurant

Carson Mint/Comstock Seminar, More Images - October 2006

2007-08-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

(At left) Group in front of V & T car. (Center) Train ride through Comstock. (At right) Amy

C4OA Meeting at ANA in MILWAUKEE

2007-08-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Some of the members of the c4oa were at the annual c4oa meeting in Miliwaukee. We all got to meet our member from Japan. I included a picture of him in the blog below. Rusty gave a short talk about the club and our new blogsite. Then Weimar White spoke about his collection of " CC" coins and also about coin preservation. On a sad note I learned that Treasurer Paul Sudmeier had bypass surgery---all of us c4oa members wish him a speedy recovery. Members of the c4oa that want to get on the blogsite to post messages, images, etc. can contact me at jeffshaw_1056@yahoo.com so I can give you the link to go online, I encourage all members to use the blogsite.

Jeff, Rusty, Tom, Weimar and Darrell

Images From the Annual C4OA Meeting in Milwaukee

2007-08-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Weimar, Rusty & Dave

Weimar

Rusty

Jeff & Rusty

Mitsuru Okada

Time for the Fun to Begin!

2007-08-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

Hello Everybody! I want to invite all C4OA members to request an invitation to join this new club blogsite. You will have the information in the next issue of Curry's Chronicle, which you will be receiving during the first two weeks in September. If you can't wait, just contact us at Southgate Coins, either by phone, by email or through our website.

In no time at all I want all sorts of messages about everything related to the Carson City Mint posted on this blogsite; and I want all C4OA members that participate to begin replying to one another through posts and comments. And, oh yeah, by the way, I want some neat pictures posted on this blogsite, too.

Let's get it going!

Amy

C4OA Membership Services

ANA electorate rejects incumbents!!

2007-08-07T19:40:00.000-07:00

COIN WORLD AUGUST 13, 2007
Newcomers captured all SEVEN board of governors seats in the American Numismatic Association's 2007 national election and in doing so ousted three incumbents, a feat unprecedented in ANA history.

Only thru the voting process in a democratic country,
have we the People' the power to make such difference!

So please vote any time you have the Chance!

The ANA, our home Plate so to speak, has to be the Pinnacle of Trust, our foremost trusted source of guidance in the field of Coin collecting.

We love to hear your comments, O.K.