1883-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS AU58

This attractive, well-struck example was produced at the famed Carson City Mint; the total mintage of this rare issue was 59,962. Please take a careful look at the images of this honey gold specimen. PCGS has graded 215 as AU58 with 207 finer. Collectors Universe gives this issue a price of $11,000.00 in AU58.

The Double Eagles that originated from the Carson City Mint served two basic functions: a circulating instrument of commerce and a storehouse of value. These big $20 gold coins were the easiest way to mint, transport and trade the great amount of gold that had recently been extracted from the mines of the Old West.

Miners at the Comstock Lode (1867-1868). The gold used to produce this 1883-CC double eagle at the Carson City Mint was mined from the Comstock. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

During the different gold rushes in the West, and for many years afterwards, paper money was contemptuously disdained. That attitude made gold coins important in daily business transactions, and they became the accepted method of payment in the West.

The example offered by AUCM displays little wear, which suggests that it was plucked out of circulation by a collector in 1883 or 1884. 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 Old West, the Comstock Lode, and the Carson City Mint.