1873 CC Trade Dollar Tribute – 2 oz Silver Round

Carson City’s first year of Trade Dollar production provides the inspiration for this tribute in 2 troy ounces of .999 fine silver. Seated Liberty and a spread-winged eagle recall a coin created for commerce across the Pacific, while the substantial 39mm format brings the nineteenth-century design into a modern silver round.

A Silver Dollar for Overseas Trade

The United States introduced the Trade Dollar in 1873 to compete with established silver coins in trade with China. The original coin weighed 420 grains and was struck in .900 fine silver. Its explicit weight and fineness inscriptions helped communicate its silver content in markets where the metal itself mattered as much as the issuing nation.

Carson City struck 124,500 Trade Dollars in 1873. That same year, the Nevada mint also produced the final Carson City issue of the Seated Liberty Dollar, making 1873 a turning point between two very different silver-dollar programs. The familiar “CC” designation links the historical issue to the mint associated with Nevada’s mining era.

This Intaglio Mint tribute preserves the visual character of the original while identifying its own 2 troy ounce weight and .999 purity. It is a modern commemorative silver round, not an original 1873 coin or a legal-tender Trade Dollar.

Obverse Design

Liberty sits facing left, extending an olive branch toward the sea. Agricultural details and bundled goods accompany her figure, reinforcing the commercial theme. Stars surround the central scene, with “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the base and the date 1873 below. A fine border frames the image.

Reverse Design

An eagle spreads its wings beneath “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and a ribbon bearing “E PLURIBUS UNUM.” Arrows and an olive branch balance the design below. The tribute’s inscriptions include “960 GRAINS, .999 FINE AG.” and “TWO TROY OUNCES,” distinguishing its silver content from the specifications of the nineteenth-century original.

Specifications

• Weight: 2 troy ounces
• Purity: .999 fine silver
• Diameter: 39mm
• Thickness: Approximately 6mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

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