1881-CC Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter 1-A, the only known dies. AU-55 (PCGS). CAC. Lovely deep honey-gold surfaces with wisps of rose iridescence evident as the coin turns into a direct light. This lustrous, overall boldly defined example also offers exceptionally smooth features for a lightly circulated CC-mint gold coin. Among the rarest of the Carson City Mint half eagles and the rarest of those from the 1880s, only 13,886 coins were struck as compared to the more than 5.7 million struck at Philadelphia in 1881. A single pair of dies was employed for the entire run, managing to turn out just 5,640 half eagles before the facility was shut down on April 1. When the doors finally reopened in November, mint personnel were able to coin an additional 8,246 examples of the denomination before the end of the year. The survival rate is a bit better than in previous years, but not by much. Scarcely more than a hundred or so are thought to remain in numismatic circles presently, almost all of which are in lower degrees of preservation, generally clustered in and around the VF and EF mark. While there are several certification events reported at the AU-55 and AU-58 levels, these numbers are possibly inflated due to resubmissions. Even in these higher circulated grades this issue is known for less than stellar luster and surfaces; examples with remarkable eye appeal, such as is offered here, are very challenging to locate and are seldom available. An opportunity such as this should not be passed on lightly.<p><p>
