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1870-CC $10 VF25 NGC. CAC. Variety 1-B....

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Sold on Feb 24, 2022 for:
$78,000.00 Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder
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Description

1870-CC Liberty Eagle, VF25
First-Year Carson City Key
Elusive, Low-Mintage Issue

1870-CC $10 VF25 NGC. CAC. Variety 1-B. Ex: Long Island Collection. The famous Carson City Mint opened for coinage operations in 1870, after overcoming many difficulties in constructing the facility, installing the equipment, and hiring and training the staff. The first gold coins produced at the new mint were 1,644 Liberty eagles struck on February 14 and 15. A lack of substantial gold deposits hampered production throughout the first year, but the Carson City Mint did deliver six more batches of eagles in 1870, for a final total of 5,908 examples. This was a small production in absolute terms, but the count was significantly greater than the 3,990 eagles produced at the Philadelphia Mint that year, and not too far from the 8,000-piece mintage achieved at the San Francisco facility.

The coins were all released into circulation at the time of issue, as there was strong commercial demand for coinage in the regional economy. No high quality examples were saved by contemporary collectors. By the time numismatic interest in branch mint issues developed, after Augustus Heaton published his landmark treatise on Mintmarks in 1893, the small number of survivors had been circulating heavily for decades. Accordingly, the 1870-CC is rare in all grades today, and Mint State examples are unknown. Branch mint gold specialist Doug Winter calls the 1870-CC "The rarest and most famous eagle from the Carson City Mint." In his new 2020 reference, The Confident Carson City Coin Collector, Rusty Goe estimates the surviving population at 60-75 examples in all grades, while PCGS CoinFacts gives a slightly smaller assessment of 45-60 examples extant.

This impressive VF25 example shows moderate wear on the strongly impressed design elements, with much interior detail still intact on Liberty's hair and the eagle's feathers. All lettering and the date remain legible and the pleasing orange-gold surfaces show only scattered minor abrasions. The high quality within the grade is confirmed by the CAC sticker. Census: 3 in 25, 31 finer. CAC: 1 in 25, 4 finer (12/21).
From The Long Island Collection, Part II. (Registry values: N4719)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 264U, PCGS# 8658, Greysheet# 9471)

Weight: 16.72 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

View all of [The Long Island Collection, Part II ]

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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.

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Auction Info

2022 February 24 - 27 Long Beach Expo US Coins Signature® Auction #1342 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2022
24th-27th Thursday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 28
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,053

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Sold on Feb 24, 2022 for: $78,000.00
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