Do you know what the ?CC? mintmark stands for on the tails side of a coin? Just ask a member of the Carson City Coin Collectors of America; and then prepare yourself for one of the most enthusiastic answers you?ve ever heard. These hobbyists, devoted to anything and everything related to the coinage mint which once operated in Nevada?s capital, absolutely love to explain how the two ?Cs? came into existence. It?s all about the history, the nostalgic romance of the Old West era, the legacy of Nevada?s Comstock Lode, and the rarity of many of the ?CC? coins, that captures the hearts of these almost fanatical collectors.

The Carson City Coin Collectors of America (C4OA for short) publishes a journal four times a year, replete with articles submitted by members covering a wide range of topics. This quarterly, called Curry?s Chronicle, named after the founder of the Carson City Mint, Abraham Curry, provides as much information on ?CC? coins as any publication in print, now, or in the past, says the club?s founder, coin dealer and author Rusty Goe. In little more than two and a half years, nine issues of the club?s journal, featuring no fewer than seventy-five articles have been published. Whether the subject is Morgan silver dollars, varieties of ?CC? gold coins, auction prices, official mint documents, how to photograph ?CC? rarities, or biographies of men and women associated with the Carson Mint, members are sure to satisfy their craving for information with each issue.

Yet, even with seventy-five articles in the books (eleven more coming in the winter 2007 edition due out in December), Goe says that the journal has not even touched the tip of the iceberg of subject matter relating to the Carson City Mint and the coins produced there. He points to the 111 different date/denomination combinations minted during the institution?s years of coinage operations as a starting place for topic fodder. Those years, 1870 to 1893, when precious metals from the Comstock Lode were transformed into shiny dimes, twenty-cent pieces, quarters, half dollars, silver dollars, and three denominations of gold coins, are packed with stories of political intrigue, economic upheavals, classic literary achievements, breakthrough inventions, the fulfillment of westward expansion, and so much more, which according to Goe and his fellow C4OAers, makes this Gilded Age/Old West period so interesting. Collecting ?CC? coins is just one of many ways that interested individuals can revisit these momentous times. Whatever it is that C4OA members write about in their club?s journal preserves at least some small essence of that bygone era, states Goe.

Recently, the Carson City Coin Collectors of America, numbering approximately 360 members, launched a blogsite at www.c4oa.blogspot.com, for the purpose of sharing their passion in cyberspace. Members are free to post articles, questions, images, announcements and anything else related to their club?s mission statement of ?increasing knowledge on the subject of the Carson City Mint?and promoting camaraderie among fellow ?CC? enthusiasts.? They can also leave comments to other member?s postings, which will provide a way for them to stay in touch with one another. If the blogsite catches on, says Goe, it will be a great forum for members to refresh their energy levels in regards to ?CC? coins, in between mailings of Curry?s Chronicle. There are some members who could literally talk day and night about the subject if the opportunity existed, according to Goe. It?s a healthy obsession, he says, one that provides rich and meaningful rewards.

You can join the club by sending a check for the annual dues amount of $20, along with name, address, and email information to: Treasurer CCCCOA, P. O. Box 16776, Boise, ID 83715. Membership dues include a subscription to four issues of Curry?s Chronicle. Back issues of the journal are available at a nominal cost. For more information about the Carson City Coin Collectors of America, please contact Southgate Coins at (775) 322-4455, and ask for Amy or Marie.