It is my contention that CAC has now seen enough coins that we can make important observations about how rare (or not rare) a specific issue is in regards to its appearance…
Lost amidst all the hoopla at the recent 2020 FUN show and auctions was the sale of one of the most remarkable US gold coins I have seen in a while. This coin was a totally fresh-to-the-market 1872-CC Liberty Head eagle graded MS62 by NGC and offered as Lot 4470 in the Heritage 2020 Winter FUN sale.
As I have pointed out in other articles, perhaps the single most important factor about CAC approval of third-party graded U.S. coins is that it creates a standard which I term “appearance rarity.” This refers to coins which are choice enough for their assigned grade to be accepted by CAC…
After more than a decade of viewing coins, the numbers which CAC has approved are now a significant sample size. In the case of Liberty Head quarter eagles, I believe that any issue with fewer than eight pieces approved show true appearance rarity.
The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse of the half eagle in 1866 which created a second type of Liberty Head half eagle from San Francisco. A total of 39 issues are known…
