By CoinWeek Notes …..
While silver bullion was pouring out of the nearby Comstock mines, United States Mint leadership in Washington, D.C. was facing a cost problem at the Carson City Mint and sought to shutter the branch as soon as practicably possible.
The explanation for why was given in the 1879 Mint Director’s Annual Report:
Nothwithstanding the fact that the mint at Carson City is located but a short distance from the productive mines of the Comstock Lode, higher prices were demanded for bullion deliverable at Carson than at San Francisco, and, in addition, the rates charged by the express company for transportation of silver dollars were higher from Carson than from San Francisco.
The Carson City Mint had ample amounts of silver on hand when Carson City Superintendent James Crawford received instructions on January 26 to wind things down.
The branch mint struck 546,000 silver dollars through March 1. From this point until June 30, the coining room lay dormant. When the order to resume work was given, an additional 210,000 dollars were struck, giving the issue a total mintage of 756,000 pieces.
Historic Pricing Data
Dealer Harry W. Bason of New Hyde Park, New York, offered 74 different date/mintmark Morgan Dollars in Brilliant Uncirculated in a February 1951 ad in The Numismatist, where he listed 1879-CC Morgan Dollars for $7.50 a piece. He also offered 1879-CC Morgan Dollars in “circulated condition” for $2.50 a piece.
Numismatic Gallery Inc. of Pikesville, Maryland, listed an MS65 example of the 1879-CC Morgan Dollar for $500 in a November 1974 ad in The Numismatist.
New York City dealer Charles M. Adkins offered a “Full Struck BU 65” example of the 1879-CC Morgan Dollar in his March 1978 ad in The Numismatist for $1,495. By October of that year, Adkins raised the price of the coin to $1,800.
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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens
The 1879-CC Morgan Dollar was not prominent in the GSA Hoard, as only 4,123 pieces were disbursed. It is the scarcest Carson City dollar of the 1878-1885 period.
Scarce in Gem (a condition rarity).
Top Population: PCGS MS66+ (2, 9/2025), NGC MS66 (1, 9/2025), and CAC MS66 (2:0 stickered:graded, 9/2025).
Clear Mintmark, 1879-CC
- PCGS MS66+ #36608661: Heritage Auctions, January 12, 2023, Lot 3776 – $192,000. Dark red and blue/black toning around the rim on both sides.
- NGC MS66 #3857377-001: Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2014, Lot 5643 – $64,625.
- PCGS MS65+ CAC PQ #36835740: “The Breezy Palms Collection,” Heritage Auctions, July 17, 2025, Lot 3068 – $40,800.
- PCGS MS65+ CAC #37287344: “The Shucart (JCS) Collection of Morgan Silver Dollars”, Heritage Auctions, September 5, 2019, Lot 3773 – $45,600. JCS Collection on insert. Deep hit between E and Liberty’s nose. Hit on eye brow. Black spot between N and U. On reverse, hit above eagle’s head. Scratches near CC mintmark.
- PCGS MS65+PL #04585088: “The Perfect Collection of DMPL/Prooflike Morgan Dollars, Part II”, Heritage Auctions, August 14, 2019, Lot 3780 – $66,000.
- PCGS MS65+ #36171576: Heritage Auctions, December 13, 2018, Lot 4205 – $48,000.
- PCGS MS65+ CAC #25240309: As NGC MS-65 #1616099-009. Stack’s Bowers, June 20, 2013, Lot 2055 – $38,187.50. As PCGS MS-65+ #25346850. Stack’s Bowers, March 2014, Lot 4042 – $32,312.50. As PCGS MS-65+ CAC #25240309. Heritage Auctions, December 4, 2014, Lot 3651 – $49,937.50. Crossed over to PCGS and upgraded one-half point. Tiny cluster of hits on chin and cheek. Planchet flaw at the top of the left wing.
- NGC MS65 #3271915-001: Heritage Auctions, August 7, 2014, Lot 5607 – $49,937.50. GSA Holder.
- PCGS MS65DMPL #6559862: “The Dr. Hoffnagle Collection of Morgan Dollars”, Heritage Auctions, January 12, 2005, Lot 30296 – $54,625. Frost on devices. Tinges of yellow discoloration. We question the eye appeal.
1879-CC VAM-3 Morgan Dollar – Clogged Die
Top 100 Variety. Capped Mintmark. Also known as the Broken CC variety. Mintmark likely recut on the die after a small CC mintmark (the type used in 1878) was effaced so that the new large style mintmark could be used instead. Field around mintmark looks bumpy due to the presence of die chips caused by this repair.
Only slightly scarcer than Clear Mintmark variety.
- PCGS MS65+ #36577003: Stack’s Bowers, February 28, 2019, Lot 1093 – $52,800. In GSA holder. Brilliant. Scratch above branch on the reverse. Diagonal hit on eagle’s midsection. Tiny ticks on chin. Top Pop, Pop 1 in GSA holder..
- PCGS MS65 #13537358: “The Snake River Collection”, Heritage Auctions, August 11, 2010, Lot 3338 – $63,250. Thin scratch on cheek.
- PCGS MS65 #50106519: “The Jack Lee Collection, III”, Heritage Auctions, November 3, 2005, Lot 2287 – $51,750. Brilliant. Scuff on cheek. long hit on cap ball.
- PCGS MS64+DMPL CAC #46252560: Heritage Auctions, January 10, 2023, Lot 3777 – $120,000. Top pop, pop one at PCGS in DMPL. Black and white with deep cameo frost.
1879-CC Morgan Silver Dollar — Specifications
- Country: United States of America
- Year of Issue: 1879
- Denomination: One Dollar (USD)
- Mintmark: CC (Carson City)
- Mintage: 756,000
- Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight: 26.73 g
- Diameter: 38.10 mm
- Edge: Reeded
- Designer: George T. Morgan
- Strike: Business Strike
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Great story on the reasons for the scarcity of this issue.
Makes me want to double check my pile of Morgan dollars!
All Morgans are classic silver.
Would love to add one of these to my collection
Every day I continue to learn more and more about this amazing piece of art.
Definitely a beautiful coin. Looks like I got to get back to checking out my collection.
Fascinating!!
Very informative.
very interesting article. Will need to check my CC’s.
Educational
Always like CC $1
I wish I could have purchased some of these at either $7.50 or $2.50 each!!! Now they are worth a lot more.
With as many Morgan dollars printed you would think II would have one but I have never received o from anywhere.
Thank you for this. My MIL recently passed away and left several of these in a drawer in her house. This really helps!
Love the beauty and history of these Morgan dollars. Would love to start my collection with this coin.
Thanks a very interesting story.
A fascinating detail: the 1879-CC shows multiple die varieties, proving the Carson City Mint was still experimenting with production.
Informative
Love these articles.
Never tire of looking at and reading about Morgan Dollars. One of my favorites.
I don’t own a CC Morgan dollar yet. But I will, they’re not really that expensive. When you really think about it, I personally have about forty three morgans already and still buying more.So one of the next ones will be a c c for sure
who has a time machine i can borrow? lol
I have some of these
I learn something new each week. Thanks for the history lessons.
I need morgans for my collection
I love morgans
The question is how to prevent all of the knockoffs coming from a certain country?
Just got a 1884 S Morgan very pleased. Sending it off to Pcgs. Can’t wait
Quite interesting
My husband has a few put away, I’ll have to ask and see what he has. Very interesting article.
Good looking coin, great article
Very educational piece. I wonder how the story changed regarding the prices being paid for silver at Carson City vs San Francisco that changed the Mint’s tune about closing the Carson City mint.
We know that the CC Mint continuously minted coins until 1893, with the official date the final coins were struck as June 1, 1893, so something had to change to flip the outlook of the U.S. Treasury from the tone of that 1979 letter.
It must have been something significant, as the change was abrupt and CC went on to produce some of its largest runs of Morgans in 1882, 1883 and 1884.
Although there were a few denominations of gold coins struck, it is believed in many circles that the last coins struck were 1893CC Morgan Dollars.
good, reliable morgans – can’t go wrong
No I more clearly understand how CC Morgans get their values.
Great article on the 1879 CC Morgan Silver Dollar.
I’ve always loved the Morgan dollars especially the one’s from Carson City!
To Coinweek
Dear coinweek, I would like to win some Carson City coins
cc: Carson City
TY
Don’t have any CC’s yet.
A collector cannot hardly go wrong by owning any coin struck at the legendary Carson City Mint. It’s nice to know the building still stands today. It’s my understanding there is a functional coin press from 1870 on display there that is occasionally used to strike medals.
Got to love silver coins, Most of all Morgans.
Would love to start a Morgan CC collection now
In 1966 my aunt was in Reno at one of the casinos. At that time when you “won” on the dollar slots you got real silver dollars. She received a 1879 CC as part of her winnings. My cousin got it when my aunt died and saved it for many years. I’m going to check if he still has it. THOSE WERE THE DAYS, my friends.