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Description

Important 1871-CC Twenty, AU53

1871-CC $20 AU53 PCGS. The Carson City Mint began striking coins in 1870, but a variety of troubles kept the facility from putting out much actual coinage. By 1871, however, much of the initial shakiness had subsided, and deposits of mined gold went up substantially. Depending on the mintage figures one accepts, the production of Carson City double eagles in 1871 represented an increase of either nearly 300% or nearly 400% compared to the previous year.
The 1871-CC may be substantially more available than its 1870-CC counterpart in an absolute sense, but such availability is little comfort to those Carson City enthusiasts who do not own one of the estimated 200 to 250 survivors (estimate courtesy of Doug Winter). Aside from the 1870-CC twenty, the 1871-CC is far and away the most elusive of the Carson City double eagles, and as Winter notes in his Gold Coins of the Carson City Mint, "For most collectors, a nice example of this date represents their single greatest expenditure on a Carson City double eagle."
To the collector who ultimately purchases the present lot, the money will be well-spent. Elements of green-gold and butter-yellow converge on this AU53 representative, a coin that exhibits the mild peripheral reflectivity found on a minority of high-grade examples. The strike is a trifle soft in the centers, but this is typical for the issue and hardly a demerit. Abrasions are mostly light and shallow, with few of the more significant distractions so often found on early Carson City twenties; the reverse is particularly clean. A noteworthy piece. Population: 8 in 53, 10 finer (6/08).(Registry values: N1793)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26AB, PCGS# 8961, GSID# 9913)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 33.44 grams
AGW: 0.9675oz
Mintage: 17,387


Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

View Certification Details from PCGS

The Confident Carson City Coin Collector
by Rusty Goe

The Carson City Mint’s celebrated legacy — replete with landmark achievements, setbacks, mysteries and tall tales — is covered in exacting detail in Goe’s three-volume set.

Auction Info

Auction Dates
Jul-Aug, 2008
30th-3rd Wednesday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 10
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 797

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
15% of the successful bid per lot.

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