1872-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS AU50

Here's a rarity from the exciting era of the Carson City Mint and the Old West. From its original (and quite low) mintage of 26,900 there are 52 graded AU50 by PCGS, with 104 finer. An attractive candidate for a type coin that carries the desirable and historic 'CC' mintmark.

Miners working at a mine in the Comstock Lode. Gold from there was used to produce this coin.

The Double Eagles that emanated from the Carson City Mint served two basic functions: a circulating instrument of commerce and a storehouse of value. The big $20 gold coins were the easiest way to mint, transport and trade the great amount of gold that had been recently been extracted from the mines of Nevada. During the different gold rushes in the West, and for many years afterwards, paper money was contemptuously derided. That attitude made gold coins important in day-to-day business transactions, and they became the accepted method of payment in the Old West. More than most other Liberty head $20 gold pieces, those from the Carson City Mint remain popular and have grown in value over the years. Among the reasons for this is the romance associated with the Wild West, the Comstock Lode, and the Carson City Mint.