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

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.

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

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.

'Twas the "CC" That Saved Christmas

'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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The future of 'CC' coins

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.