Soft, satiny luster cradles the devices on each side of this gorgeous Choice AU piece, testifying to the exceptional preservation exhibited overall. The surfaces are delightfully untroubled for the assigned grade, painted in a vibrant sunshine-yellow hue. Billowy mint frost floods the intricacies and accentuates the boldness of strike seen throughout. A truly superlative coin in all respects. With a paltry mintage figure of 8,680 pieces, the 1877-CC is among the most elusive Carson City half eagle issues. While overall scarcity is commensurate for said mintage, rarity increases exponentially in higher grades. When encountered, the majority of survivors are limited to Extremely Fine or lesser levels of preservation, hobbled by extensive wear from circulation, or mistreatment in the form of jewelry placement or cleaning. Doug Winter suggests a maximum of 13 surviving examples in About Uncirculated Condition and postulates just a single Mint State specimen - a figure that PCGS CoinFacts corroborates. The present example certainly sits among the finest examples known, and represents a significant offering for Liberty half eagle and Carson City Mint enthusiasts alike. ,,PCGS# 8343. NGC ID: 25X2.,PCGS Population: 8; just 6 coins finer through MS-62. ,
