1873-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS AU55

This is a rare piece, one that will be an object of great pride for its new owner. In an auction listing from 2019, Heritage writes, “A number of coins have been repatriated from overseas holdings in recent times to augment the supply for eager collectors. Examples in high grade are still rare, however, as most of the new discoveries show extensive bag marks from rough storage and transport.” However, this is an attractive piece with honest wear. Please take a look at the images. There are no distracting hits upon this example. The eye appeal is excellent on this offering from AUCM.       

PCGS has graded 43 as AU55 with 96 finer. Collectors Universe gives this rare issue a price of $35,000.00 in AU55. The 1873-CC ranks among the scarcer Nevada Mint double eagles, with just 22,410 pieces struck and an estimated 450 to 500 examples surviving in all grades.

The Carson City Mint, where this rarity was produced in 1873. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

An issue such as the 1873-CC was seen almost solely as an instrument of commerce when it was first produced. The entire mintage of 22,410 pieces was released into circulation into the hard money economy of the Old West. The coins served their intended purpose with great success, experiencing normal wear as they circulated.

Branch mint coins, with their mintmarks, were not the choice of collectors at the time. Therefore, when numismatists finally recognized the rarity and desirability of the 1873-CC, most survivors had extensive wear on the devices and excessive surface abrasions. Even though some previously unknown specimens appeared in small hoards in the 1990s, the 1873-CC remains scarce in all grades, and is quite rare in mint state grades.