"FThe year 1879 marked the second year of the Morgan Dollar production at the Carson City branch mint. By this time, silver dollar design problems at the main Philadelphia Mint had settled down, and only one reverse die type was used for the entire year. However, it turns out that one reverse die was apparently left over from the preceding year displaying a smaller CC Mint Mark, and the new dies for 1879 used a Large CC Mint Mark. So before the reverse due if 1878 could be used in 1879 the mint mark had to be effaced from the die and the larger mint mark punched over it. The Capped CC Variety shows die chips around the mint mark which is the result from a Large CC stamped over a Small CC. The remaining mint mark chips around the "CC" are caused from attempts to obliterate the smaller underlying mint mark from the die with engraving tools.