How to Find an 1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece

The 1876-CC twenty-cent piece is the most famous coin of one of the shortest-lived denominations the United States ever minted, and it’s rare for an unusually direct reason: the Mint deliberately melted almost its entire mintage. Fewer than 20 examples are believed to survive today. A search returning no results is the expected outcome.

GetCoinHunt helps you search inventory from multiple coin dealers in one place, and lets you save a wishlist alert for coins that, realistically, rarely appear in routine dealer inventory.

What makes the 1876-CC twenty-cent piece important to collectors?

The United States twenty-cent piece was struck for circulation for only two years, 1875 and 1876, before the public effectively rejected it. The problem was simple: it looked too much like a quarter. Both coins featured a similar Liberty Seated design and close to the same diameter, and confusing the two in everyday transactions was common enough that the denomination never gained public acceptance, despite the twenty-cent piece having a plain edge rather than the quarter’s reeded edge.

Congress moved to eliminate the denomination in 1876. The following year, Mint Director Henry R. Linderman ordered the Carson City Mint’s superintendent to melt the twenty-cent pieces still sitting in storage there, and the dies used to strike them were destroyed, per Mint records cited by PCGS CoinFacts. Of a reported mintage of 10,000 coins, only a small number ever escaped that melting—some through the Mint’s Annual Assay Commission, others into private hands in Nevada before the order came down.

Today, fewer than 20 examples are believed to survive in any condition, with PCGS and NGC combining to certify roughly 20 to 23 coins (a figure that includes some resubmissions and crossovers rather than that many distinct coins), per each service’s published population reports. The largest single source of surviving examples was a small hoard of uncirculated pieces discovered near Baltimore, Maryland, and brought to market by a Maryland coin dealer in the late 1950s, an episode documented in numismatic trade-press accounts of the issue’s history; exact hoard size and date are best confirmed against those published accounts rather than treated as fixed here.

Prices reflect the coin’s transformation from a numismatic curiosity into a genuine trophy rarity. Per auction and dealer records reported in the numismatic trade press, an example changed hands for a four-figure sum in the mid-20th century; by comparison, a PCGS MS65 example from the Bender Family Collection sold for $870,000 in August 2022, and another PCGS MS65 example sold for $690,000 in August 2024, both figures reported by the handling auction house and covered in the specialist press.

How to identify an 1876-CC twenty-cent piece

With so few known examples, identification means confirming a coin against known population data and being especially careful not to confuse it with the far more common quarter dollar it so closely resembles.

Confirm the denomination first

Check that the coin actually reads “TWENTY CENTS” on the reverse, not “QUARTER DOLLAR.” Given how visually similar the two denominations are, this is the single most important first check.

Confirm the date and mint mark

The date “1876” appears on the obverse, with a small “CC” mint mark on the reverse below the eagle, identifying it as a product of the Carson City Mint. Philadelphia struck twenty-cent pieces in both 1875 and 1876 without a mint mark; those are considerably more available (though still scarce) than the Carson City issue.

Recognize that surviving examples are individually significant

With fewer than 20 known survivors, most already tracked through major collections and past auction sales, a coin presented as an undocumented example calls for careful, independent authentication before being taken seriously.

Know the physical specifications

Per U.S. Mint records and PCGS CoinFacts, the twenty-cent piece weighs 5.0 grams, measures 22mm in diameter, is struck in 90% silver, and—unlike the quarter dollar—has a plain edge rather than a reeded one. Edge type is a fast, reliable check to distinguish a genuine twenty-cent piece from a similarly sized quarter.

Buying considerations

This is not a coin found through routine dealer search

With so few known examples, a genuine 1876-CC twenty-cent piece reaching the market is a notable event in the specialist numismatic press, not a routine listing.

Certification and provenance are essential

At this value level, only consider a PCGS- or NGC-certified example, and verify the certification directly through the grading service’s website. Given both the coin’s rarity and its resemblance to a common quarter, certification is the only reliable way to confirm what you’re actually looking at.

If your interest is the twenty-cent series generally

Other dates in the series—particularly 1875-S and 1875-CC—are considerably more available than the 1876-CC, offering a more realistic way to collect an example of this short-lived, historically interesting denomination.

Suggested search terms and filters

Because a genuine 1876-CC is unlikely to appear in routine inventory, consider:

• “1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece” (to catch any rare genuine listing)
• “Twenty Cent Piece” more broadly, or “1875-S Twenty Cent Piece” (for the more available dates in the series)

Save “1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece” to your wishlist to be notified on the rare chance a genuine listing appears.

Availability and pricing notes

With fewer than 20 known examples, the 1876-CC essentially never reaches ordinary dealer inventory. Recent notable sales include $870,000 (2022, PCGS MS65) and $690,000 (2024, PCGS MS65). More available dates in the twenty-cent series, particularly 1875-S, trade for a small fraction of that, typically in the hundreds to low thousands of dollars depending on grade.

GetCoinHunt does not guarantee that any listing represents a genuine example of a historic rarity. For a coin at this level, independent verification through a major grading service is essential before treating any offer as credible.

How the GetCoinHunt wishlist alert works

1. Search for the coin. Enter “1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece” to check current dealer inventory.
2. Expect no matches in nearly all cases. With fewer than 20 known examples, this coin does not appear in routine dealer inventory.
3. Add it to your wishlist anyway. You’ll be notified if participating dealer inventory ever includes a matching listing.
4. Consider more available dates in the series instead. Searching “1875-S Twenty Cent Piece” or “Twenty Cent Piece” more broadly will connect you with an actual, collectible example of this short-lived denomination.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the 1876-CC twenty-cent piece so rare?

The Mint ordered nearly the entire 10,000-coin mintage melted in 1877 after the denomination was discontinued for causing confusion with the quarter dollar. Fewer than 20 examples are believed to have escaped that melting.

Why was the twenty-cent piece discontinued?

The public frequently confused it with the quarter dollar, since both featured similar Liberty Seated designs and close to the same diameter. Congress eliminated the denomination after just two years of circulation-strike production.

What has an 1876-CC twenty-cent piece sold for?

Recent sales include $870,000 (2022, PCGS MS65) and $690,000 (2024, PCGS MS65)—a dramatic rise from the low four-figure prices the coin brought in the mid-20th century, per auction records reported in the numismatic trade press.

How can I tell an 1876-CC twenty-cent piece from a quarter?

Check the reverse for the denomination text: a genuine twenty-cent piece reads “TWENTY CENTS,” not “QUARTER DOLLAR.” The twenty-cent piece also has a plain edge, while quarters have a reeded edge.

Are other twenty-cent pieces from this series also rare?

The entire series is scarce compared to most 19th-century coinage, but the 1876-CC is by far the rarest date. The 1875-S is the most commonly available date in the series and a more realistic collecting target.

Should I expect to find this coin through a normal coin search?

No. With fewer than 20 known examples, treat any listing claiming to offer this coin with serious skepticism and verify independently through a major grading service before considering it credible.

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