1877-CC $5.00 NGC EF45

While not as rare and undervalued as its eagle counterpart, the 1877-CC half eagle is a scarce issue that is often overlooked when collectors discuss the tough CC dates from this decade. There were 8,680 struck and most of the surviving examples are well-worn. This piece is among the few that I have seen with natural color and surfaces. The obverse and reverse show rich medium russet color with some red and green undertones and darker hues towards the borders. The fields are unusually clean with no marks of note and the detail is better than expected with especially sharp feathers seen on the wingtips and legs. The last NGC EF45 example of this date to sell at auction was Heritage 4/12: 6621 which brought $5,175; the example I offer here is far more original and it shows much better overall eye appeal.