Lot 1899
1871-CC. PCGS graded AU-58. Nice golden toning. Scarce "CC" mint. Only 8,085 minted. 1871-CC checks in as a significant rarity among the $10 Liberty issues produced at the Carson City Mint. Relatively few were minted, and all seem to have been put into circulation. There was no interest on the part of numismatists at the time.
The present piece is quite attractive, ranking as it does high in the NGC Census, with just one graded finer. The striking is good, much luster is present, the rarity is unquestioned, and all elements are in place for this to create a stir when it crosses the block. There is a small mark on the face angling down onto the neck. Elsewhere, only light field abrasions. Pop 2; 1 finer in 62+ (PCGS # 8661) .
Gold ore yields on the Comstock Lode were on the rise in 1871, yet the Carson Mint was not receiving the benefit of it. Output from the mines in the region was reported to be over $4 million that year, but only 25% of it was deposited at the local mint. From that amount, nearly $470,000 was turned into gold coins, with Eagles accounting for 15% of that total. There is no way to ascertain where the 1871-CC Eagles wound up after they left Nevada, or for that matter, how many actually left the state, but as with many "CC" issues, apparently few were saved.
The rarity can partly be explained by exports. It was in 1871 that the United States began sending large quantities of gold coins to foreign lands, over $55 million in gold coins in 1871 alone. Though Carson City’s gold coin output was consistently lower than Philadelphia’s and San Francisco’s, significant quantities of CC’s left the country as evidenced by occasional small hoards returning from overseas or South America.
This date has a slightly higher survival ratio than many CC gold issues of the era, but because of the low original mintage, it still ranks in the top 10 in overall rarity.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 30,000.
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| Realized $41,125 |
