1889-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-60 (PCGS).An uncommonly well preserved and attractive coin for the issue, this original BU example is warmly patinated in a blend of deep gold and pale pinkish-rose. The strike is bold to sharp throughout, and the luster is full with a satin to softly frosted texture. The Carson City Mint produced a mere 30,945 double eagles in 1889, a figure equal to $618,900 in face value. David W. Akers, writing in 1982, characterized Mint State examples as "very scarce," and although some specimens may have been plucked from overseas gold reserves by numismatists in subsequent years, the estimated number of Uncirculated survivors remains on the low side. In 2004, Q. David Bowers in his <em>Guide Book of Double Eagles</em> gave a high-end estimate of just 200 Mint States examples. Clearly the present example is a significant find for the high grade double eagle collector or advanced Carson City Mint specialist.From the Fairmont Collection.
