1873-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS).A vividly and interestingly toned piece that combines a bold rose-red obverse with a more vivid orange-gold reverse. Both sides are uniformly sharp in strike with ample mint luster.During the late 19th century the Western regions of the United States preferred to conduct business with specie rather than paper money, with the double eagle particularly favored for large transactions. Even at the newly opened Carson City Mint, focus on gold coin production was directed toward the double eagle. In its third year of operation 22,410 examples of this denomination were produced at the rustic frontier facility, spread out in several batches throughout the year, almost all of which immediately entering circulation. Numismatists were effectively nonexistent in the region, thus high grade examples were not retained. Today, only a dozen or so Mint State specimens are reported, mostly heavily bagmarked and abraded with limited eye appeal. Premium Choice AU examples, as here, are often more visually appealing than low-end uncirculated coins and are hotly pursued whenever they appear on the open market.
