1889-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-62 (PCGS). Frosty medium gold surfaces reveal tinges of pale pinkish-rose as the surfaces rotate under a light. The strike is bold to sharp in most areas, the eye appeal uncommonly strong at the BU level of preservation. 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.
