U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Twenty-cent piece
Twenty-cent pieces: read TWENTY CENTS and the plain edge
The Seated portrait made this short-lived denomination easy to confuse with a quarter.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
A denomination that needs its reverse
The twenty-cent piece spans 1875–1878, with regular strikes confined to the first two years and proof-only later dates. Its reverse denomination and plain edge help separate it from the neighboring quarter. A portrait resemblance is insufficient when a seller gives no scale or reverse photograph.
Type references: PCGS Twenty Cent ↗
Check the whole coin before the famous mint
Photograph the value, eagle, date, mintmark, and edge. Inspect Liberty’s head, shield, knees, and eagle breast, and describe hairlines or cleaning independently. A plain edge is normal for this series; it is not a missing-reeding mint error.
Type references: PCGS Twenty Cent ↗
The 1876-CC question
A claimed 1876-CC needs exact mintmark and authentication evidence before its rarity affects valuation. Proof and circulation strikes also have different comparisons. The commoner type examples offer a separate collecting goal, so a dramatic rare-date sale should not set the expectation for an ordinary 1875 coin.
Type references: PCGS Twenty Cent ↗
Selected reviewed issue records
These catalog standards describe the named issue, not a measured specimen. The selected records below do not cover every date, mint, strike, or die variety. Reported production is labeled separately from established mintage. Unknown standards and mintage remain visible; survival estimates and certified populations are separate research questions.
No issue-level specification or mintage records are published for this category yet. Verify the exact date, mint, strike, metal, and subtype in its reference before using a numerical standard.
References and review
Reference reviewed October 5, 2026. Historical facts and catalog standards need to match the exact issue; price comparisons should be researched at the time of valuation.
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