1882-CC Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter 1-A, the only known dies. AU-58 (PCGS). Blushes of pinkish-rose peripheral toning enhance otherwise honey-olive surfaces on both sides of this wonderfully original piece. Lustrous, sharply defined, and exceptionally smooth in hand. Unlike the previous year, 1882 proved to be quite productive at Carson City. A modest increase in bullion coming out of the Comstock combined with a full uninterrupted year of operation allowed the mint to increase its output significantly. Striking quality improved, as well; the 82,817 coins produced for the 1882-CC half eagle were struck from a single pair of dies, a different story from just a decade earlier. Thanks in part to the more generous mintage figures, around 500 examples are believed to exist for present generations to appreciate. The 1882-CC is an issue that is actually moderately available at the AU level as compared to many earlier years. Mint State examples remain elusive, but not prohibitively so, making this a broadly popular issue. This Choice AU is an outstanding example that will draw the attention of gold type collectors, Carson City Mint specialists, and aficionados of Western gold.
