1877-CC Liberty Head Eagle. EF-45 (NGC). A wonderful example of this rare issue with significant mint luster shimmering from around the devices. Uniformly bold for the issue and pleasantly smooth beneath a glass, toned in pale medium-gold coloration. A few trivial bagmarks in the upper left obverse field serve as convenient pedigree markers. Ten-dollar gold eagle production remained low at the Carson City Mint in 1877 as the facility concentrated on subsidiary silver coinage as well as trade dollars and, to a lesser extant, double eagles. One of just 3,332 examples struck that year, this 1877-CC is an uncommonly high grade survivor of one of the rarest of the Carson City Mint eagles of 1870 to 1893. Only 60 to 80 distinct examples are believed extant and it remains fully unknown in Mint State. Just two to three examples in Choice AU comprise the top of the census, followed by a handful of pieces at the AU-53 level. With attractive Choice EF surfaces, the present piece certainly approaches these finest few, and just 13 example have been certified finer by NGC.
