1876-CC Half Dollar - 1876-CC Seated 50c NGC MS64. Centennial Carson City half dollar.  In its population report, NGC shows 24 1876-CC half dollars certified at the near-Gem MS64 grade level. This near-Gem, Western branch mint, Centennial 1876-CC half dollar has an absolutely hammered strike. The coin shows full details on Libertys head, the centers of the stars, and the lower left of the eagle. The silvery-tan devices contrast with a darker background creating a semi-prooflike effect. Smoldering mint luster lies beneath these colors. Surface abrasions are minimal and virtually invisible, and there are no other problems with this original, clean beauty.
 
The first coin produced at the Carson City Mint was the Liberty Seated 1870-CC dollar. A person who had deposited silver at the mint received 2,303 silver dollars. Shortly afterwards, gold eagles, half eagles and double eagles were struck. The Mint did not strike coins made of copper or nickel, and it never struck half dimes, gold dollars, quarter eagles, or three dollar gold coins.

In 1873 silver was demonetized; however, the Bland-Allison act of 1878 required the Treasury Department to coin two to four million silver dollars each month. The act attempted to keep silver at artificially high levels. Large quantities of Morgan dollars were minted, but they did not circulate well and were kept in Treasury storage vaults.
Christian Gobrecht designed the Seated Liberty half dollar. The obverse depicts Liberty seated looking over her shoulder to the left. She balances the Union Shield inscribed LIBERTY with her right hand and holds a staff on which is placed a Phrygian cap in her left. There are seven stars to the left and six to the right interrupted by her head and the capped pole. The date is below. The reverse shows the heraldic eagle looking left. It is surrounded by the required inscription and the denomination written as HALF DOL. below. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides of the coin.

There were five varieties of the Seated Liberty half dollar. Type 1, 1839-1853 and 1856-1866 (resumed with weight standard of Type 2) has no motto above the eagle. It weighed 13.36 grams. Type 2, 1853, added rays around the eagle and arrows at the date to indicate the change in weight to 12.44 grams. Type 3, 1854-1855, had the rays removed but retained the arrows on each side of the date. The weight remained the same. Type 4, 1866-1873 and 1875-1891 (resumed with weight standard of Type 5) had the motto IN GOD WE TRUST added to a banner above the eagle. The arrows at the date were removed. Type 5, 1873-1874, had the arrows at the date added back to show the change in weight to 12.50 grams.

In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to William Kneass. After Kneass suffered a debilitating stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle. 

In its population report, NGC shows 24 1876-CC half dollars certified at the near-Gem MS64 grade level.