LOT #3744 |
Current Bid: $165,000
1870-CC $20 XF40 NGC. Winter 1-A....
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Description
1870-CC Double Eagle, XF40
Famed Carson City Gold Rarity
1870-CC $20 XF40 NGC. Winter 1-A. Multiple collector
interests compete for the few surviving 1870-CC double eagles.
Liberty Head twenty dollar specialists alone could readily absorb
the entire known population, providing this inaugural Nevada Mint
issue was ever readily available (which it is not, nor will it ever
be). Carson City collectors also pursue the issue with equal
determination and branch mint gold specialists further strengthen
demand, as do first-year-of-issue collectors. Although the recorded
mintage reached 3,789 pieces, the issue survives in remarkably
small numbers. Current estimates suggest only about 55 to 65
collectible examples remain, along with approximately a dozen
impaired pieces certified with Details grades. The result is one of
the most important rarities within the Liberty Head double eagle
series and one of the defining issues among all Carson City
coinage.Mintage alone does not fully explain the 1870-CC alure among double eagle and Carson City collectors. Several Liberty Head double eagles were struck in even smaller quantities, including the 1854-O, 1856-O, 1879-O, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886, and 1891 issues. Each ranks as an important series rarity -- especially the early New Orleans Mint dates. Yet none of those rare twenties possess the magical combination of demand, Old West heritage, and collector recognition associated with the first Carson City twenty dollar gold piece. Its connection to the early years of the Nevada Mint and the mining economy of the Comstock Lode gives the issue an identity and charisma that extends well beyond its low mintage and limited survival.
Interest in large denomination United States gold coins developed slowly during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Before the Gold Recall of 1933, few collectors pursued complete sets of double eagles. One of the earliest documented 1870-CC auction appearances occurred in the Charles W. Cowell Collection, offered by B. Max Mehl in November 1911. Cataloged simply as "1870 First $20.00 gold piece of this mint. Fine. Rare." the coin realized only $24.50 - still, a representative result for the period. Values remained modest for many years despite the issue's true scarcity.
The collecting landscape changed dramatically during the 1930s. Astute numismatists with deep pockets including Louis E. Eliasberg and Dr. Charles W. Green recognized that collectible United States gold coins represented one of the few lawful methods for private citizens to hold substantial quantities of gold. The 1936 edition of the Standard Catalogue of United States Coins listed the 1870-CC at just $50, roughly comparable to many other branch mint Liberty Head double eagles. Demand soon separated the Carson City issue from its peers. By the late 1940s, examples routinely realized $250 to $300 whenever available. Prices continued to strengthen through succeeding decades. The 1870-CC consistently established itself as one of the premier rarities within the entire Liberty Head double eagle series.
Today, Carson City gold remains one of the strongest specialties within United States numismatics. Even advanced collectors often spend years searching for an acceptable 1870-CC. Most known examples reside in long-established collections and are tightly held. Attractive pieces certified Extremely Fine or better appear only infrequently, making each public offering a headline auction event.
NGC certifies the present coin as XF40. Doug Winter notes, "The great majority grade Very Fine or so and an accurately graded Extremely Fine is a very rare coin." Light and even circulation wear appears across the major design elements, although considerable interior detail remains visible. The strike exceeds expectations for the issue and the grade. Some softness appears on the obverse stars, a characteristic commonly encountered on 1870-CC double eagles. Orange-gold surfaces display the expected assortment of small contact marks accumulated through commercial use. Larger or distracting abrasions are notably absent. Surface quality compares favorably with many surviving examples of even higher grade, since heavily marked coins are the norm for the issue. Protected areas retain traces of original mint luster along with faint remnants of prooflike reflectivity. The overall appearance suggests careful preservation through many decades.
The Winter 1-A variety is one of two die pairs responsible for striking this celebrated Carson City rarity. The mintmark is further right and the date is higher than the second die marriage (Winter 2-B). Regardless of variety, every certified example represents an important opportunity because so few coins remain available to collectors. Q. David Bowers aptly described the issue as "a numismatic prize of the first order." Its inclusion within the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins reference is a foregone fact and reflects the 1870-CC's longstanding importance in the U.S. gold series, as well as within the broader reach of American numismatics. The July 2026 NGC Census reports only seven examples certified in XF40, with just 23 finer examples listed. Housed in a Generation 5 fatty holder.(Registry values: N10218)
From The Reno-Carson City Collection.
Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26A8, PCGS# 8958, GSID# 9911)
Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 33.44 grams
AGW: 0.9675oz
Mintage: 3,789
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 all of [The Reno-Carson City Collection ]
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.
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
2026 August 31 - September 5 ANA US Coins Signature® Auction #1396 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
September
2nd
Wednesday
3:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
Aug-Sep
31st-5th
Monday-Saturday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
2 Days
8h 11m 18s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 53
Lot Tracking Activity: 59
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Buyer's Premium per Lot:
22% of the successful bid (minimum $29) per lot.
This lot is in: 3 -
Signature® Floor Session - Platinum Session - II (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 3595-3811) - 4:00 PM Central Time, Wednesday, September 2, 2026.
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
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Additional Location Info:
Heritage Auctions - Dallas
2801 W. Airport Freeway
Dallas, TX 75261
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