1871-CC $5 MS61 PCGS. Winter 1-A....

Description

1871-CC Liberty Half Eagle, MS61
High Condition Census Example
Extremely Rare in Mint State

1871-CC $5 MS61 PCGS. Winter 1-A. The Carson City Mint began coinage operations in February 1870, even though Congress authorized the facility seven years earlier. The beginning of construction was delayed for three years due to the Civil War, and three more years passed before the building was completed. Coinage equipment had to be installed, further delaying operations. Nearly a dozen years had passed since silver was discovered in the region in the late 1850s. Half eagles were among the denominations first coined in 1870.

Although the U.S. Mint's Nevada branch was established to serve the silver interests, gold coinage formed a significant part of its production from the 1870 opening until the 1893 closing. Carson City Mint half eagle production totaled 20,770 coins in 1871, along with 8,085 eagles, and 17,387 double eagles. Gold coins of all denominations were needed in circulation, and few of those coins were held back. Today, nearly every surviving example of all three gold denominations shows considerable wear. Mint State pieces are extremely rare. In The Confident Carson City Coin Collector, Rusty Goe estimates the surviving population of the 1871-CC half eagle at 140 to 180 examples in all grades, with only 3 or four of those in Mint State. Currently, PCGS lists this single example in MS61, with another single coin finer at MS62, while NGC has graded a single coin in MS61, and the famous Battle Born example in MS63 (11/24). It may well be that the PCGS MS62 citation also represents the Brattle Born coin, as it was graded MS62 PCGS when it appeared in a Heritage auction in 1997. If so, that would reduce the number of Mint State coins to three specimens, and leave this coin tied with the MS61 NGC example for second place in the Condition Census for the issue.

This sharply detailed MS61 specimen has rich orange-gold luster with splendid surfaces showing only minimal contact marks. The fields are reflective and approach a prooflike appearance. The present 1871-CC half eagle will make a wonderful addition to an advanced collection of Carson City Mint coinage. This coin is pictured on PCGS CoinFacts and is the #3 coin in their Condition Census. Population: 1 in 61, 1 finer (11/24).

Significant Examples of the 1871-CC Half Eagle
This list of Significant Examples was provided by Ron Guth and The Numismatic Detective Agency. Grades are per the last auction appearance, unless a subsequent certification event is known.
1. MS63 NGC. Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, sold privately; Gulfcoast Rare Coins, sold privately; New York ANA (Heritage, 7/1997), lot 7686; Heritage Rare Coin Galleries, sold privately; Kingswood VI (Kingswood, 6/1998), lot 676; Jason Carter and Chris Napolitano, sold privately; Spectrum Numismatics and Kevin Lipton, sold privately in 7/1999; Doug Winter, sold privately; Nevada Collection; Battle Born Collection (Stack's Bowers, 8/2012), lot 11002, $64,625.
2. MS61 PCGS. Central States Signature (Heritage, 4/2013), lot 4528, $48,469; Pre-Long Beach Auction (Goldberg Auctions, 9/2015), lot 1407, $52,904. The present coin.
3. MS61 NGC. 66th Anniversary Sale (Stack's, 10/2001), lot 906, $23,000; Exclusively Internet Auction (Heritage, 12/2003), lot 12060, not sold; Franklinton Collection, Part II (Stack's, 1/2008), lot 955, $43,700; FUN Signature (Heritage, 7/2011), lot 4763, $54,625.
4. MS61 NGC. Pre-Long Beach Auction (Goldberg Auctions, 5/2003), lot 915, $41,400.
5. MS60 Uncertified. Auction '79 (RARCOA, 7/1979), lot 1249, $6,000; Auction '80 (Paramount, 8/1980), lot 937.
6. AU58+ PCGS. Regency Auction 26 (Legend Rare Coin Auctions, 5/2018), lot 710, $44,650; D.L. Hansen Collection (PCGS Set Registry).
7. AU58 PCGS. Pre-Long Beach Coin and Currency Auction (Goldberg Auctions, 1/2011), lot 2131, $22,425; Pre-Long Beach Sale (Goldberg Auctions, 6/2014), lot 1833, $32,313.
8. AU58 PCGS. Baltimore Rarities Night (Stack's Bowers, 3/2017), lot 3112, $42,300; York Collection (Stack's Bowers, 8/2018), lot 1274, $43,200; [Tom] Bender Family Collection, Part I (Heritage, 8/2022), lot 3594, $43,200.
9. AU58 PCGS. Pre-Long Beach (Superior, 5/2003), lot 3714, $21,850; J.A. Sherman Collection (Stack's, 8/2007), lot 3258, $29,900; William Porter Collection (Stack's Bowers, 8/2011), lot 7688, $20,700.(Registry values: P3)
From The KRGJ Collection.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25WD, PCGS# 8323, Greysheet# 9051)

Weight: 8.36 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

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.

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