1879-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle NGC AU53

Here's a rare Double Eagle that saw circulation in the old west. This specimen is in a relatively high grade. Only 10,708 pieces were produced at the Carson City Mint that year. NGC has graded 41 in AU53, with 133 finer.

The Carson City Mint, where this great coin was struck in 1879.

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 earth 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. That is why so many Carson City double eagles are found in relatively low grades today in the 21st century. More than most other Liberty head $20 gold pieces, those from the Carson City Mint remain popular and have grown exponentially 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.