1892-CC $5 Liberty Head Half Eagle PCGS MS63 Ex. Fairmont Collection

Ron Guth writes on PCGS Coinfacts, “The 1892-CC is one of the most common CC-Mint Half Eagles…” While that may be true, he neglects to mention that this issue is truly rare. Let’s crunch some numbers. The mintage was 82,968 and the total number of original pieces graded by both PCGS and NGC is 1,799. That tells us that only 2.168 percent of the mintage have been graded, which points to extensive circulation and possible melting. It also points to the 1892-CC half eagle being quite a rare coin. It also tells us that a collector in the Old West pulled this piece out of circulation in 1892 or shortly thereafter.

PCGS has graded 23 as MS63 with a mere 4 finer. So if you would like to have a rare Carson City $5 Liberty to add to your collection—one near the top of the graded population—then this piece may be just what you are looking for. Collectors Universe gives this issue a price of $15,000.00 in MS63.

The Carson City Mint, where this rarity was struck in 1892. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.