1877-CC Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter 1-B. EF-40 (NGC). OH. Attractive orange-olive surfaces with intermingled highlights of reddish-rose iridescence. Well struck with plenty of frosty mint luster remaining. The Carson City Mint produced barely more half eagles in 1877 than it had the year before. Production was delayed until April when the Mints personnel resumed coining, beginning with double eagles. The half eagles time came in August when the entire mintage of 8,680 pieces was executed in a single run; all were better produced than most earlier CC-Mint issues.<p>While not one of the rarest of the Carson City Mint half eagles in an absolute sense, the vast majority of survivors for the 1877-CC are found in VF and lower grades. Mint State coins are extraordinarily rare and seldom appear for sale, leaving market pressure to focus on the few Extremely Fine and About Uncirculated specimens available. Above average among the 130 to 165 coins believed extant (per Rusty Goe, 2020), the addition of this pleasing example would be a noteworthy occasion for any advanced Western gold cabinet.
