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Carson City,NV - Ormsby County - 1999 - Carson City Silver Bar :

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Exonumia Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 7,000.00 USD
Carson City,NV - Ormsby County - 1999 - Carson City Silver Bar :
The Nevada State Museum Carson City Mint Coin Show Grand Prize.
A 10oz silver bar etched on the face by a Russian Faberge machine displaying obverse and reverse strikes of cancelled 1876 Seated Liberty Half "CC" dies. The Carson City Mint pulled dies from their vaults that had been cancelled in the late 1800s and had this 10oz silver bar made for their coin show raffle in hopes that it would draw in lots of guests to the "CC" mint 1999 annual coin show.
In the early days of the U.S. Mints when a die had worn or become damaged, and no longer perfect, or if the design had simply run its course, the mint would cancel the dies. When cancelling a die the chop method was used through the 1900s and into the 1900s. The mint master would chop and X or a cancellation line deep into and across t he face of the retired die so that it could no longer be struck. If it was struck again a raised thick X or cancellation line would show strongly on the face of the coin often destroying dates and detail.
The Carson City mints original Press #1 (still in operation) could not be utilized in the striking of the bar in fear of damaging the old 1800s press. At the time the mint mast/ coiner at the Carson City mint was Don Schmitz, who was also the owner and mint master of the Nevada City Mint, thus not damaging the old dies or the Carson City Mints original Press #1.
The etching design by the Russian Faberge machine on the face of the 10oz silver bar and the cancelled 1876-CC Seated Liberty Half strikes displayed side by side, makes this a ONE OF A KIND Carson City Mint Collectible memorabilia piece. The Carson City mint continues to put on a great coin show with very unique raffles prizes, but nothing like this has been done over the decade since the striking of the cancelled dies.