VERY SCARCE PCGS EF45 1878-CC $5 WITH CAC APPROVAL

I rank this date as the third scarcest CC half eagle, trailing only the 1870-CC and 1873-CC. In Choice EF, the 1878-CC is very scarce and you can literally count on one hand the number of pieces in the 40 to 45 range which meet DWN standards.

This choice coin is totally fresh-to-the-market and it was recently graded by PCGS after it walked into a New England coin shop. Unlike virtually every known 1878-CC half eagle, this piece is uncleaned and totally natural in appearance with nice surfaces and enough detail to readily qualify as an EF45. The last PCGS EF45 1878-CC $5 to sell at auction was back in 2006. A properly graded PCGS/CAC VF35, ex Fairmont, sold for an aggressive $38,400 as Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5146, while another Fairmont example sold for $26,400 as Stack’s Bowers 2022 ANA: 3126.

This is among the nicer 1878-CC half eagles that I’ve had the pleasure of selling.

CAC has approved three in this grade with only three finer.

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