According to Heritage Auctions, the 1876-CC 20 Cent has been regarded as “a numismatic prize of the first order“. Therefore, it would be a prize every collector would like to have in his or her possession. That in mind, allows you to understand why someone paid up to $870,000 to have it in his or her collection.
In fact, it could be considered as rare as the famous dollar that dates back from 1804. Or even the 1894-S dime or the 1838-O half dollar. No doubt, it is a spectacular gem.
When was the 20-cent coin authorized?
Apparently, it was not authorized until 1875. It was thanks to the Act of March 3, 1875, which allowed the U.S. Mint to mint these pieces. This 20 cent received all the support from the Mint Director, Henry Linderman.
Interestingly, it was originally thought to help merchants and customers with the shortage of five-cent pieces. That meant customers had to face overcharging, so it came in really handy.
Therefore, it had the aim to solve a problem in the purchases which had not been either infrequent or recent. But these 20-cent pieces had an unpopular denomination.
Why was the 20-cent coin unpopular?
It was a weird denomination and it seemed to be doomed since it was first struck by the U.S. Mint. Had the Mint discontinued the quarter when this specimen was released, it may have been a different story. So, it caused confusion.
Moving on to the obverse of this 1876-CC 20 Cent denomination, it shows Lady Liberty while sitting on a rock. She is facing left in this case. What is more, she is holding a liberty cap which is on a pole.
Her left hand is holding a shield with the inscription “Liberty”. Around the 20 cents, you can see the 13 stars, which represent the original colonies. The date is also there, 1876. The reverse depicts the eagle with the olive branches and arrows.