1874-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle. AU-58 (PCGS). Richly original surfaces are bathed in warm khaki-orange patina. Scattered bagmarks are apparent under scrutiny but true friction from circulation is virtually undetectable. Just 29 have been graded finer by PCGS. This 1874-CC comes highly recommended for inclusion in an advanced collection of Liberty Head and/or Carson City Mint gold coinage. The 1874-CC has the highest mintage in the Carson City Mint eagle series up to that time. The 16,767-piece mintage is nearly as great as the combined deliveries for the 1870-CC, 1871-CC, 1872-CC and 1873-CC. The reasons for this jump in production are not entirely clear, especially since mintages dropped back down to fewer than 10,000 coins for each of the following five issues in this series. We suspect, however, that the withdrawal and recoinage of worn gold coins from circulation in the West might be a factor. To replace some of the withdrawn coins the Carson City Mint may have delivered more eagles in 1874 at the expense of the ingot bars that accounted for much of its bullion receipts during the 1870s.While the 1874-CC is the most frequently encountered CC-Mint ten from its decade, fewer than 500 (if not 400) coins are believed extant in all grades. In pleasing Choice AU this coin is finer than most and worthy of the strongest bids.