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1889-CC S$1 MS68 PCGS.From The Jack Lee Collection, II 1889-CC[S$1] MS68 PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:700,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1889-CC S$1 MS68 PCGS.From The Jack Lee Collection, II 1889-CC[S$1] MS68 PCGS.
<B>1889-CC<S$1> MS68 PCGS.</B></I> This was the year that the Carson City Mint reopened after three straight years without striking a coin. It was to remain open until 1893, when it was permanently shut down. Incidentally, Edward O. Leech took over reign of the Mint as its director in Philadelphia, a position that he held during these last years of Carson City production, stepping down in 1893. The '89-CC Morgan Dollar was one of the lower mintage issues of the entire series, with just 350,000 coins produced. All of these were struck during the last three months of the year with monthly production of 100,000 coins in October and November, and 150,000 coins in December.<BR> Like several others, this is an extremely rare issue in Gem quality. PCGS and NGC have combined to certify only eight coins in grades of MS65 or finer. PCGS has certified this MS68 along with an MS65. NGC has actually certified five examples as MS65 (if indeed they are five different coins) and one MS67. There seems to be a little confusion regarding the appearance of these coins. Wayne Miller, in 1982, stated "the typical 1889-CC is well struck, with average bagmarks." A decade later, Dave Bowers essentially said the same thing: "Nearly all 1889-CC dollars are well struck with excellent definition of details." However, another decade passed, and the <I>Red Book of Morgan Dollars</B></I> contained the following: "Usually an average strike at best, often below average." This Eliasberg specimen can only be considered well-struck.<BR> The only quantity of Mint State examples are reported to be three bags, one owned by Harry Warner, and the other two owned by Ben Stack. There were also reports of a couple bags located in Montana during the 1950s or early 1960s. Other than these, there have been no quantities of 1889-CC Morgan Dollars released. The Treasury did not have any of these when their hoards of dollars was distributed in the early 1960s. Apparently, they actually retained one solitary coin, which later was part of the GSA sales of CC dollars in the 1970s.<BR> The physical beauty of this coin was aptly described by Dave Bowers in the Eliasberg catalog: "prooflike. Delicately mottled golden toning over silver, prooflike surfaces. Extremely well struck. A gorgeous, splendid coin in all respects. This is certainly one of the very finest in existence of this exceedingly important date and mintmark, quite possibly the finest. An exciting coin for the connoisseur and specialist." Careful examination with magnification fails to reveal any surface marks on either side of this Superb Gem example. The struck is nearly full, even down to separation of the hair strands over Liberty's ear, almost always a point of weakness on these Morgan Dollars.<BR><I>Ex: John G. Mills Collection (S.H. and H. Chapman, 4/1904); J.M. Clapp; John H. Clapp; Clapp Estate (1942); Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection (Bowers and Merena, 4/1997), lot 2280; Jack Lee 2 Collection. From The Jack Lee Collection, III</B></I>