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Choice for the grade with deep natural colors seen on the obverse and reverse. A small mark in the left obverse field is the only abrasion of note. This is not an especially scarce date but it is hard to find the 1889-CC with color as rich as seen on this coin.
CAC has approved nine in this grade with twenty-five finer.
Along with the 1855, the 1856 is one of my favorite "sleeper" dates in the Type One double eagle series. It is still not priced at a huge premium over a common issue like the 1851 or 1852 but, as even a cursory glimpse at population figures will show, it is many times scarcer than these dates. This example is choice and original with rich, even orange-gold color that is accentuated by some deeper colors at the left obverse and correspoding reverse.
This is one of two approved by CAC in this grade with eleven finer.
Battle Born Collection pedigree. The 1879-CC has the lowest mintage figure of any Carson City gold coin and it was traditionally regarded as the rarest eagle from this mint. Of the 1,762 produced, only four dozen or so are known. But in recent years, the popularity (and price) of this rarity has been trumped by the 1870-CC and now the 1879-CC is actually, in my opinion, extremely undervalued when compared to such issues as the 1872-CC, 1873-CC, 1877-CC and 1878-CC eagles. This is one of the more lustrous 1879-CC eagles that I have seen with very vibrant semi-prooflike surfaces that show virtually no wear. There are some contact marks in the obverse fields that are accentuated by the depth of the luster; the reverse has some minor nicks in the fields. I bought this coin in the recent Battle Born sale and thought it was an incredible bargain for a number of reasons. Firstly, I saw a PCGS EF45 1879-CC eagle recently sell for close to $30,000 and that coin wasn't close to the present example from a quality standpoint. Secondly, I saw coins in the Battle Born sale (like the 1878-CC in NGC AU58 which brought $80,500) that were not close to being as rare as the 1879-CC sell for significantly more. Remember; this is a date that used to sell for more than the 1870-CC and which is probably the second rarest CC eagle in terms of rarity. A very important Carson City eagle.
Formerly in the Battle Born collection (Lot 11029) where it brought $41,688; earlier sold to the owner of this collection by me in Augsut 2002.
After the extremely rare 1854-S, the next scarcest San Francisco quarter eagle is the unheralded 1863-S which narrowly eclipses the 1862-S. Only 10,800 were made and the survival rate is very low with probably no more than 1% still known. Auction records for EF45's are very scant over the last decade with just five seen from 2000 to the present. The most recent was Heritage 7/12: 4734 at $2,300 and the one right before this was Heritage 9/05: 4346 at $2,530; both were encapsulated by NGC. This example is light green-gold color with good detail but a bit of weakness on the reverse; the obverse is nicely detailed. There are a few small scuffs in the fields that do not detract. Trends is too low on this date as the last four APR's (dating back to 11/03) are for more than $2,000. A good coin for the savvy collector who appreciates undervalued Civil War issues.
There is only one (count them: one) legitimate overdate in all the Liberty Head eagle series: the 1853/2. This is an unquestionable overdate with evidence of the 2 clearly in the lower loop of the 3. I think this variety is clearly underrated and this surprises me, given the surge in popularity of this series. This coin is very choice for the grade with the appearance of an AU55. Unlike most 1853/2 eagles, it lacks serious marks and the surfaces exhibit a good deal of luster below light green-gold color. The last APR for an NGC AU53 is Heritage 3/12: 4106 but this coin was non-CAC and not nearly as choice as the current example. Terrific value for the collector who likes unusual coins.
CAC has approved three in this grade with five finer.
Of the 200-250 known, only a dozen or so grade Uncirculated and most are in the EF40 to AU50 range. Nice AU55’s are regarded as scarce. This is a pleasing example with good color and surfaces. There is a considerable amount of luster on the obverse and reverse and the detail is above-average for the date and grade.
CAC has approved three in this grade with nine finer.
There are a small number of Gem Sliders known for this date and when they become available, collectors get excited. The reason is simple: an MS61 example of this date, if available, is now approaching $40,000 and a very high end AU58 like this coin is a remarkable value at less than half the price. This piece probably never entered circulation and it has glassy semi-prooflike surfaces with rich light green-gold that is accentuated by splashes of rich lime-gold across the central obverse. The strike is as sharp as one could hope for and there is just the slightest amount of bag friction on the high spots of the obverse. A small mark on the obverse can be seen between stars two and three and it seems to be mint-made. An exciting coin for the advanced collector of New Orleans gold.
CAC has approved two in this grade and two finer.
2/2
This deeply toned example is among the few totally original 1861-S double eagles that I can recall having seen in many years. It shows rich Euro-style color with deep green-gold surfaces that are contrasted by the hues on the relief details. There is a good degree of luster below the toning and the surfaces are choice for the issue. This is probably the scarcest regular issue SF double eagle from the Civil War era and I am very fond of this coin's appearance. CAC has approved just two in this grade with eight finer.
In years and years of specializing in Carson City double eagles, I can't recall a time that these coins have been more popular than they are now and I forecast continued growth in this market due to a greater demand than supply. The sort of coin that people are really clamoring for now are common and slightly better dates in EF and AU with great eye appeal; exactly like this example. There is minor wear seen on both sides, no detracting marks and attractive natural light golden-orange color. In short, this is exactly the sort of CC $20 you should be buying if you are just getting interested in this historic, highly collectable series.
CAC has approved seventeen in this grade with another twenty-five finer than this.
