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Description

1873-CC Ten Dollar, Choice AU
Among the Rarest Issues From This Mint
One of the Finest Coins Ever Offered at Auction

1873-CC $10 AU55 NGC. Variety 2-A. Carson City eagles from the 1870s are, without exception, major rarities in either the absolute or conditional sense, often both. Not only does the 1873-CC fit that bill, it sets the standard. The 1870-CC is widely regarded as the singlemost important key date from this facility, but the 1873-CC is essentially just as rare. The argument could be made that this issue is, in fact, more challenging in high grades.

Merely 4,543 1873-CC ten dollar gold coins were minted, and they circulated as intended in the channels of Western commerce. There were no collectors interested in setting these coins aside for numismatic purposes, so most examples were used extensively and eventually melted for their gold weight. The fact that any pieces survive at all is simply a matter of happenstance. The estimated survivorship ranges from 60 to 80 pieces.

The average 1873-CC eagle is, as Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth put it, "in miserable condition, heavily marked, and/or softly struck on the center of the obverse." Most coins grade in the VF to XF range. Doug Winter adds: "I doubt if more than a half dozen properly graded AU pieces exist and there are currently no 1873-CC eagles known that are even close to being Uncirculated."

This is one of the finest representatives ever offered at public auction. Indeed, it is one of the finest representatives extant with at most three higher-graded submissions at NGC and PCGS combined, assuming no duplications or crossovers. Partial mint luster remains intact within the recesses of the design, a quality virtually unseen on any other example of the issue. The motifs are strongly detailed with trivial high-point friction. Abrasions are plentiful, but none are singularly distracting. Census: 1 in 55, 2 finer (1/18).
From The Admiral Collection. (Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 2655, PCGS# 8667, Greysheet# 9477)

Weight: 16.72 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper


View all of [The Admiral Collection ]

View Certification Details from NGC

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
February, 2018
22nd-27th Thursday-Tuesday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 12
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,755

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.

Sold on Feb 22, 2018 for: $66,000.00
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