A VERY PRESENTABLE PCGS AU55 1871-CC DOUBLE EAGLE

PCGS shows a current census of 15 examples of the 1871-CC double eagle. This certainly includes a number of resubmissions, so we can assume there are around a dozen or so unique coins which range in quality from “ugly as hell” to “surprisingly choice.” I would put this specific 1871-CC at around the midway point of these two extremes.

The single best 1871-CC $20 in PCGS AU55 that I have ever seen was the coin that fetched a record-setting $132,000 as Heritage 4/2022; 5416,

The coin I am offering here is not close to the quality of the aforementioned but its far lower price is reflective of this. If this coin were in an auction and I was your agent, his is how I would describe it:

“For an AU55 1871-CC $2, this is a very decent example and if it walked up to my table at a show, I would buy it so long as it was properly priced. There is a good deal of luster on both sides and the surfaces are better than usual for the grade. This coin has definitely been lightened but it hasn’t been harshly scrubbed with chemicals. Should you buy it? unless you are incredibly patient (you’ll have to wait years to find a decidedly better coin at close to double the price of this one), I would say go for it but with some price restraint…”

In 2022-2024, two other PCGS AU55 1871-CC double eagles sold at auction with one selling for $108,000 as Stack’s Bowers 4/2024: 4366 (it was not original and there were a few noticeable bagmarks on Liberty’s face), while the other fetched $102,000 as Heritage 2022 ANA: 3631 (it was OK but there was an area in the left obverse field that looked smoothed).

Only one 1871-CC exists in PCGS 58, meaning that a better coin is going to cost you $250,000, and that’s if you can even find one.

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