they are highly sought after because of the lower mintage and how short the carson city mint was open. cody
They are lower mintage (generally) than other mints for coins of similar dates, and the mint was open during the silver rush days. Also, the ties to the wild west, and the fact that CC coins generally have a premium on them.
We just like them silver rush coins, but I remain proud of NC as the first discovery of gold in the US. Good old Reed!
Yay, NC! Go Tarheels! My son just finished grad school at Chapel Hill. Yes, NC was the first place where gold was discovered, before the 1849 California find. Hence, the Charlotte Mint for gold coins (mintmark "C").
Wow. looking back, that is a really pointless comment. who doesn't like wasting space on the internet?
Lower mintage, lots of unc's since many never saw circulation such as the GSA horde. The CC mint was to give silver miners a place to sell off their silver from the Lode. Lots of Wild West collectors care only about CC's. I have a friend who could tell you practically every VAM for a CC but wouldn't know the value of a common date such as 1880 S to save his life.
People like CC's because everyone else likes CC's. If you judge them solely based on mintage and availability, they are hugely overpriced. I once asked a Morgan collector why CC's were so expensive. He said that if it has a CC mintmark, then you know for sure that it was transported by stagecoach. I'm not sure if I understand his reasoning, or if it is even true, but that's the reason he gave.
Fascination? The lure and lore of the old west? The fact that many of the coins issued from this mint passed hand to hand, and that many that reside in mint state are both rare and pricey? The short run of the mint due to the Comstock Lode being played out?