1882-CC $20 MS63 PCGS. Variety 1-A....

Description

1882-CC Liberty Double Eagle, MS63
Popular Branch Mint Twenty
Tied for Finest Certified

1882-CC $20 MS63 PCGS. Variety 1-A. No double eagles were struck at the Carson City Mint in 1880 and 1881, but production was resumed in 1882. The 1882-CC Liberty double eagle claims a medium sized Carson City mintage of 39,140 pieces, making it one of the more available issues of the 1880s from the famous Western facility. Of course, like most branch mint double eagles of this era, Mint State examples are rare, and the present coin is tied with two other examples at PCGS for finest-certified honors (5/21).

Few 19th century collectors could afford to collect double eagles systematically because of the high face value of each coin. A long date run of double eagles represented an extravagant investment for the average collector at a time when the average daily wage for a worker in Chicago was only $2.88. In addition, branch mint coins were not recognized as important separate issues before Augustus Heaton published his seminal work on the subject in 1893. Most collectors of the 1880s were content to have just one example of each years coinage, regardless of which mint it was from. The few wealthy collectors who did collect large denomination gold coins preferred to simply update their holdings by purchasing proofs from the Philadelphia Mint every year. By the time real collector interest in 1882-CC double eagles developed, in the 1930s, the coins had been circulating for decades, suffering much wear and attrition along the way.

An early auction appearance of the 1882-CC Liberty double eagle was in lot 1323 of the William Cutler Atwater Collection (B. Max Mehl, 6/1946), in the Double Eagles of the Carson City Mint section:

"1882 Nearly uncirculated. Very light hardly noticeable nicks on obverse. Limited coinage. Very scarce. Record $100.00. (None minted in 1880 and 1881)."


The lot realized $82, an average price for the time. Recent auction sales of MS63 PCGS examples have gone as high as $96,000.

This is only the third time Heritage has offered an 1882-CC in MS63 condition, and one of the previous offerings was the present coin. This extraordinary Select specimen is sharply detailed throughout. Every element of the design is tack-sharp; there are no areas of softness to mention. The reverse displays moderate contrast between the partially frosted motifs and semireflective fields. Light yellow-gold surfaces are clean with little more than superficial grazes. There are remarkably few abrasions for a Carson City twenty. A major condition rarity and a fantastic opportunity for serious Nevada mint enthusiasts. Population: 3 in 63, 0 finer (5/21).(Registry values: N1)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 26BF, PCGS# 8997, Greysheet# 9935)

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper
Weight: 33.44 grams
AGW: 1.06oz
Mintage: 39,140

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