1871-CC Seated Liberty Quarter

If you could build a list of the most desirable coins in American numismatics, the 1871-CC Seated Liberty Quarter would be somewhere near the top. With an original mintage of just 10,890 pieces and an estimated 35 to 50 survivors, this coin occupies rarefied territory in the collecting world. It is the kind of piece that appears at auction once every few years, draws intense bidding, and reminds everyone in the room why Carson City coinage holds such a powerful grip on the collector imagination.

The Birth of the Carson City Quarter

The Carson City Mint in Nevada began striking coins in 1870, and the quarter dollar was among its earliest products. The 1870-CC quarter holds the distinction of being the very first quarter struck at the new facility, but only 8,340 were produced, making it even rarer than the 1871-CC. The early years of Carson City quarter production were characterized by extremely low mintages, reflecting both the mint's limited capacity and the relatively modest demand for quarter dollars in the western economy.

By 1871, the Carson City Mint was in its second year of full operation. The equipment had been broken in, the staff had gained experience, and the flow of Comstock Lode silver provided ample raw material. Yet the mintage of quarters remained tiny. Just 10,890 1871-CC quarters were struck, a number so small that it almost seems like a rounding error compared to the Philadelphia Mint's output of over 5.3 million quarters that same year.

Design Details

The 1871-CC quarter features the Seated Liberty design by Christian Gobrecht, specifically the "Motto Above Eagle" variety that was introduced in 1866. On the obverse, Liberty sits on a rock facing left, holding a liberty cap on a pole in her right hand and resting her left hand on the Union shield. Thirteen stars surround the border, and the date 1871 appears at the bottom.

The reverse depicts a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings, clutching arrows and an olive branch. A banner reading "IN GOD WE TRUST" floats above the eagle, and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "QUAR. DOL." frame the design. The CC mintmark appears beneath the eagle, small but unmistakable.

The coin was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, measuring 24.3 mm in diameter and weighing 6.25 grams. Despite its modest size, the design packs considerable detail, and well-preserved examples reveal the artistry that Gobrecht brought to American coinage decades before this piece was struck.

Rarity and Survival

The story of the 1871-CC quarter's rarity goes beyond its low mintage. Of the 10,890 coins produced, the vast majority entered circulation in the rough and tumble economy of the American West. These coins bought goods and services in mining camps, frontier towns, and growing cities across Nevada, California, and the broader western territories.

Numismatic researcher Rusty Goe, the foremost authority on Carson City coinage, estimates that between 35 and 50 examples of the 1871-CC quarter survive today. Of those, perhaps three or four are known at the Mint State level. The rest are scattered across the circulated grades, with many showing the heavy wear that comes from years of honest service in commerce.

To put this survival rate in perspective: if you gathered every known 1871-CC quarter in one room, you could seat them all at a single large dinner table. This extreme rarity is what makes the coin so fascinating to collectors and so challenging to acquire.

Condition and Value Guide

The 1871-CC Seated Liberty Quarter commands extraordinary prices at every grade level. Here is a general pricing guide:

Grade	Description	Estimated Value
AG-3 (About Good)	Outline visible, very heavy wear	$3,000 - $5,000
G-4 (Good)	Major design elements clear	$6,000 - $8,000
VG-8 (Very Good)	Design clear, some detail	$10,000 - $15,000
F-12 (Fine)	Moderate wear, most detail visible	$18,000 - $25,000
VF-20 (Very Fine)	Light wear on high points	$30,000 - $45,000
EF-40 (Extremely Fine)	Slight wear, strong detail	$50,000 - $70,000
AU-50 (About Uncirculated)	Trace wear, significant luster	$75,000 - $100,000
MS-60+ (Uncirculated)	No wear, full luster	$100,000 - $120,000+

These are approximate figures based on auction records and dealer pricing through early 2026. The actual price of any specific coin depends on its precise grade, eye appeal, surface quality, and the competitive dynamics of the auction or sale in which it is offered. With so few examples available, each transaction essentially sets a new market price.

Notable Auction Appearances

The 1871-CC quarter appears at major auction houses only infrequently, and each appearance generates significant attention. When examples do surface, they tend to sell at or above their pre-sale estimates, reflecting the intense demand for this issue among advanced collectors.

The key dates in the Carson City quarter series (1870-CC, 1871-CC, 1872-CC, 1872-S, and 1873-CC) are all extremely rare. For reference, the even scarcer 1873-CC quarter, with only about six known survivors, realized $460,000 at a 2012 auction. The 1871-CC, while slightly less rare than the 1873-CC, is nonetheless a formidable rarity that consistently brings strong results.

Authentication Is Essential

Given the extreme value of the 1871-CC quarter, authentication and professional grading are absolutely essential. Both PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) have extensive experience with this issue and maintain population reports tracking how many examples they have certified at each grade level.

Counterfeits of valuable Carson City coins do exist, and they range from crude to quite sophisticated. Key areas to examine include:

The CC mintmark: On genuine coins, the mintmark shows characteristics consistent with known die varieties. Size, positioning, and style should match documented examples.

Die characteristics: Each genuine 1871-CC quarter was struck from a limited number of die pairs. Knowledgeable dealers and grading services can identify specific die pairs and verify consistency with known examples.

Metal composition: Genuine coins should test correctly for 90% silver content. Modern counterfeits sometimes use incorrect alloys.

Weight and dimensions: The coin should weigh 6.25 grams and measure 24.3 mm. Deviations suggest a non-genuine piece.

The bottom line: never purchase a raw (uncertified) 1871-CC quarter without professional authentication. The financial risk is simply too great.

Building Context: The Carson City Quarter Series

The Carson City Mint produced quarters from 1870 through 1878, creating one of the most challenging short series in American numismatics. Here is a summary of the CC quarter dates and their mintages:

Year	Mintage	Relative Rarity
1870-CC	8,340	Extremely Rare
1871-CC	10,890	Extremely Rare
1872-CC	22,850	Very Rare
1873-CC (No Arrows)	~4 known	Legendary
1873-CC (Arrows)	12,462	Extremely Rare
1874-CC	392,000	Scarce
1875-CC	140,000	Scarce
1876-CC	4,944,000	Common for CC
1877-CC	4,192,000	Common for CC
1878-CC	996,000	Moderately Scarce

As the table shows, the early CC quarters (1870 through 1873) are in a completely different league from the later dates. The 1871-CC sits right at the heart of this ultra-rare group, accessible enough that examples do appear periodically, but rare enough that acquiring one requires both significant resources and considerable patience.

Why This Coin Matters

The 1871-CC Seated Liberty Quarter is more than just a rare coin. It is a tangible connection to one of the most colorful chapters in American history. The coin was struck during the height of the Comstock Lode silver boom, in a mint that existed precisely because of that boom. It circulated in a world of prospectors, saloon keepers, stagecoach drivers, and frontier entrepreneurs.

Every surviving example has its own story, its own journey through 150 years of American history. Some were tucked away by early collectors who recognized their scarcity. Others surfaced in old collections, bank vaults, or estate finds decades after they were last spent as money.

For the serious numismatist, the 1871-CC quarter represents a collecting milestone. It is the kind of coin that anchors a collection, that draws admiring comments from fellow collectors, and that holds its own against any other rarity in the cabinet. If you ever have the opportunity to acquire one in a grade you can afford, the decision is simple. This is a coin you buy.

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