7586

1871-CC[$20] MS63 NGC.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:12,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1871-CC[$20] MS63 NGC.
<B>1871-CC<$20> MS63 NGC.</B></I> This is the finest known 1871-CC double eagle and one of just two examples to be certified as Mint State by NGC. The other coin is certified as MS-61. After these two coins, a small number of AU examples are known, and the population drops even lower from there. In <I>Gold Coins of the Carson City Mint,</B></I> author Doug Winter recorded this date as the second rarest Carson City double eagle in high grade, behind only the exceedingly rare 1870-CC issue. When he compiled his auction analysis of double eagles, published in 1982, David Akers noted that this issue ranks in the top 15% of all double eagles for overall rarity and is tied with the 1866-S No Motto and 1870-CC issues for the lowest average grade within the entire series of double eagles from 1850 to 1933. "Few dates in the series come generally worse than the 1871-CC," according to Akers. Up to that time, Akers had never seen an example that he would call AU, although six years later he handled this same specimen. Akers, who is a renowned gold coinage expert, described this coin in the Auction '88 catalog: "For the double eagle or rare date gold collector, this coin is a truly one-of-a-kind item. We have never seen or heard of another 1871-CC that was even close to it in grade. In fact, until we saw this coin, we had never seen a full mint state 1871-CC $20 and only 3 or 4 that could even legitimately be graded AU."<BR> In 1871, the Carson City mint struck several thousand double eagles, with varying reports of the specific quantity. Author Rusty Goe, in his recent reference on the Carson City Mint, noted: "Some references list the mintage for 1871-CC double eagles as 17,387, although official U.S. mint records have reported it as 14,687 since 1887." Goe also discussed this particular specimen: "Of the surviving 1871-CCs extant, few are inspiring, although there are several AU-55 and AU-58 examples which possess higher than average eye appeal, and two Uncirculated specimens in particular stand head and shoulders above the rest, especially that one that is graded by NGC as an MS-63." All of the 1871-CC double eagles were struck from a single pair of dies. The date is well placed below the bust, with the first 1 approximately centered between the bust line and border. The final 1 in the date is nearly the same distance from the border. On the reverse, the CC mintmark is slightly left of center below the eagle's tail feathers, with the first C slightly higher than the second.<BR> The early gold and silver coinage of the Carson City Mint entered circulation almost immediately after production. While in the East, gold and silver was still being hoarded with paper money serving the economic needs of that region, the precious metals coinage in the West circulated extensively. Others, mostly from later years of the Carson City Mint, were shipped overseas to the Orient, and probably found their way to the melting pot. Because of these influences, virtually all surviving examples of the Carson City Mint's output are well worn, or extensively abraded, or both. The example offered presently is an amazing exception to the general rules regarding these coinages. The surfaces are fully brilliant and lustrous with rich greenish-gold surfaces and slightly prooflike fields. Both the obverse and the reverse are sharply struck. This Type Two double eagle possesses exceptional aesthetic appeal, enhanced by light coppery orange toning. At Heritage Galleries, we have never before offered a Mint State example of this issue, and have offered less than a dozen AU grade coins in the past 10 years. This coin was produced at an important historical time in Carson City. It was this same year that this city saw the completion of the state capitol building. At the Carson City Mint, Henry F. Rice began his first full year as superintendent, replacing Abraham Curry who had stepped down to pursue a political career.<BR> For the reader with an interest in the Carson City Mint, we highly recommend <I>The Mint on Carson Street</B></I> by Rusty Goe. The first 200 pages are devoted to a definitive history of Carson City and her Mint, the next 200 pages provided a date-by-date analysis of the entire series from dimes to double eagles, with the last 100 pages devoted to collectors and collecting opportunities. The first printing of 1,000 copies have long since sold out, and the author tells us that a second printing is planned. Our advice is not to miss this next opportunity to expand your knowledge.<BR> The following pedigree is from Doug Winter's reference:<BR><I> Ex: Ed Shapiro (1978); unidentified private collection; Superior Galleries (1/88), lot 4414; Auction '88 (David Akers), lot 977; Eastern collector; various dealers; Universal Coin and Bullion (2000); unidentified private collection; Bowers and Merena (6/02), lot 2372.</B></I> <BR><BR><B>Important notice:</B> Heritage usually auctions material at the rate of 200-250 lots per hour. On some occasions eBay Live bid software or the Internet may not be able to keep up with the pace of the auction. We recommend placing a realistic absentee bid now as insurance to avoid disappointment. Occasionally the auctioneer may eliminate or reject an eBay Live bid, and the auctioneer may also reopen a lot after the close of the eBay live bidding (usually because we missed an audience bid), and may reject your bid even if it shows you as the winning bidder. By bidding via eBay Live, you agree that Heritage may award the lot to another bidder at its sole discretion under the circumstances described above or any other reasonable circumstances. Since eBay bids are not shown to us until we open the lot on the floor, we treat those bids just like floor bids. In most cases the floor responds before the eBay bid is presented to us, due to Internet lag time, so for consistency we have made it a policy that floor bids are always considered first over tie eBay live bids. Also please note that all Heritage lots purchased through eBay Live carry a 20% Buyer's Premium. Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions before you bid. </span></font></tr></table></td></tr></table>