1880-CC $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle NGC AU55

This 1880-CC five is a rare piece for the specialist in Carson City gold, one that will be enjoyed for many years to come. With its mintage of 51,017, this is not an easy issue to acquire, for only 368 examples of them have been graded by NGC. Of those, there are 63 in AU55 with 64 finer. Collectors Universe prices this issue at $7,500.00 in AU55.

This issue saw much circulation in the Old West of the 1880s onward. There are a mere handful graded mint state by NGC with MS62 being the highest grade. Gold specialist Doug Winter writes, "Half eagles, as a rule, have become a much more collected denomination in the last few years. For many collectors, gold dollars and quarter eagles are too small, three Dollar gold pieces are too weird, and eagles/double eagles have gotten really expensive. That leaves half eagles as a sweet spot for a number of new (and existing) collectors."

Annie Oakley, the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and the inspiration behind the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun. She traveled the Old West and spent gold coins that carried the famed 'CC' mintmark. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.