The Carson City Mint struck a small production of 14,000 Liberty eagles in 1893, the last year of coinage operations at the famous Western facility. The coins were released into circulation and few high-quality examples were saved for numismatic purposes. As might be expected, the 1893-CC is an elusive issue in all grades today, with most examples seen in the VF-XF grade range. AU58 examples are scarce and Mint State specimens are very rare.
The NGC population is 59 with 21 graded higher.
Listed at $16,800 in the CDN CPG and $20,000 in the NGC price guide.
Offered at $14,690
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A run of low-mintage run of Philadelphia eagles kicks off with the 1870 issue, followed by the rare 1871, 1872, and 1873 dates. In the case of the 1870 ten dollar the mintage of only 3,900 is actually a good indication of this issue’s rarity. It is rarely seen in AU condition and only one coin is known in mint condition (an NGC MS60).
The NGC population is only 12 with 1 graded higher – an MS60 example.
Listed at $16,800 in the CDN CPG and $16,250 in the NGC price guide.
John Dannreuther makes the point that the “mintage figure for this year may be one of the firmest to date, as it is believed that all 1,781 coins delivered in 1805 were of that date… .” This was the only die pair used to strike those coins, and it was later employed in the production of 1806 BD-1 and BD-2 quarter eagles, 1807 BD-1 quarter eagles, and 1807 JR-1 dimes. The dual-denomination nature of the dies certainly adds to the appeal of this scarce issue. Only 100 to 150 pieces are thought to exist.
The PCGS population is just 2 with 9 graded higher.
Listed at $31,200 (in AU58) in the CDN CPG and $40,000 in the PCGS price guide.
Offered at $31,100
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The New Orleans Mint was the only Southern branch to resume coinage operations following the Civil War. Interestingly, its survival as a minting facility can be attributed in part to the same legislation that brought about the coinage of millions of unneeded standard silver dollars. The Bland-Allison Act of February 1878, called for the Treasury Department to purchase monthly 2 to 4 million dollars worth of silver bullion, and to have it coined into new silver dollars which would largely be stored in government vaults. The sudden demand in coinage operations mandated by the law virtually necessitated the reopening of the branch mint in New Orleans, which resumed coinage operations in 1879.
However, the New Orleans Mint’s days were nonetheless numbered. In 1904, coinage of Morgan silver dollars was discontinued and construction was begun on a modern, high-capacity branch mint in Denver, Colorado. Silver and gold coin production at the Louisiana branch dwindled after 1906, when the Denver Mint opened, and by 1909, the need for continued operations at the Southern facility was virtually dissolved. On April 1, of that year, coinage was suspended, and in 1911, the dismantling of the outdated machinery was begun.
Coinage in the first three months of 1909, prior to operations suspension, consisted primarily of dimes, with more than 2.2 million pieces struck; quarter production amounted to only 712,000 coins, and halves to just 945,400 pieces. The only gold coinage at New Orleans in 1909, consisted of a paltry 34,200 half eagles. Interestingly, this was the first issue of this denomination struck there since 1894.
In addition to its popularity as the only O-mint issue of Pratt’s Indian Head type, the 1909-O half eagle is also a significant key date within the series. The 1929 is rarer in the absolute sense, but in Mint State, the 1909-O is the less often seen coin.
Offered at $16,700 delivered
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The Carson City Mint struck a substantial mintage of 115,085 Liberty double eagles in 1874, but the survival rate for the issue is below average. In The Confident Carson City Coin Collector , Rusty Goe notes less than 2% of the reported mintage is extant today, and many of those coins were repatriated from foreign holdings in recent years. The 1874-CC is popular with branch mint type collectors, but it remains an elusive issue at the AU58 grade level, and Mint State specimens are rare. The one offered here is noticeably lighter in color and more lustrous than seen in our images.
Listed at $17,500 in the PCGS price guide.
Offered at $13,950
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This Philadelphia issue is a standout rarity within the latter part of the double eagle series, boasting the lowest mintage of any date from that point through 1907, when the Liberty Head motif was replaced with Saint-Gaudens’ design. Only 4,430 circulation strikes were manufactured, plus 93 proofs. Although the 1892 did not see much circulation and was likely subject to exportation overseas, examples are rarely seen in Uncirculated condition. The NGC population is 30 with 38 graded higher.
Listed at $19,200 in the CDN CPG and $18,500 in the NGC price guide.
Offered at $18,900 Delivered
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All 1891-CC twenty-dollar gold pieces feature the same obverse and reverse dies. The issue ranks as the third most challenging Carson City double eagle after the 1870-CC and 1871-CC. Its mintage of 5,000 coins is only 1,211 pieces higher than the virtually unobtainable first-year issue from the Nevada branch mint. However, the 1891-CC does enjoy a substantially higher survival rate of about 6% compared to 1.5% for the 1870-CC. Regardless, this late-date issue remains scarce in all grades and is particularly rare in Mint State. The vast majority of examples offered are in XF and AU grades. The PCGS population is 33 with 27 graded higher.
Listed at $60,000 in the PCGS price guide.
Offered at $52,750
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1796 was the first year of dime (or disme, per nomenclature of the era) production at the First Philadelphia Mint. The Draped Bust and Small Eagle motifs originated on 1795 silver dollars. According to often repeated numismatic legend, the Draped Bust model was Philadelphia socialite Ann Willing Bingham, indirectly through paintings by noted artist Gilbert Stuart. Guide Book credit for the design, however, is assigned to Chief Engraver Robert Scot. On the dime, the Small Eagle only lasted through 1797, and was replaced by the Heraldic (or Large) Eagle in 1798. The Draped Bust obverse continued until 1807, except the star count was reduced to 13 beginning in 1798. Technically, the 1796 15 Stars is a single-year design subtype, since the 1797 issue has either 16 (JR-1) or 13 (JR-2) stars.
In hand this example is lighter in hue and more lustrous than seen in our images. Listed at $19,800 in the CDN CPG and $21,000 in the NGC price guide.
Offered at $18,890 Delivered
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The Carson City Mint was used as an assay and storage facility during the 1886-1888 time period. The Mint was scheduled to resume coinage operations in 1889, but extensive repairs were needed and key personnel had to be hired before the re-opening could be accomplished. As a result, no coins were struck until October, and only 350,000 Morgan dollars were produced before year’s end. In addition to the low mintage, many examples of the 1889-CC that were held in government storage were later melted, further reducing the supply of collectible specimens.
Listed at $20,400 in the CDN CPG and $18,250 in the NGC price guide.
Offered at $20,400
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