With a mintage of just 11,828, the 1875-CC half eagle is scarce in all grades. As with all of the CC half eagles from this decade, the 1875-CC saw extensive circulation and the few coins that survived the melting pot tend to be well-worn. In AU55, the 1875-CC is extremely scarce and it is virtually unobtainable in grades higher than this.

This piece shows a better than average strike for the date with nice die alignment between the obverse and reverse (1875-CC half eagles are often seen struck from slightly misaligned dies). The color is a medium russet and green-gold and the surfaces are choice for the grade with no very detracting abrasions. Some luster is seen on both sides and the eye appeal for the date and grade is above average.

The last three APR’s for an 1875-CC half eagle in NGC AU55 are $10,638, $9,200 and $10,925 from a trio of Heritage sales in 2009. However, these are the same coin; a recolored example that was very low end for the grade. Prior to this, there were a number of auction trades for NGC AU55′s in the $12,000-13,000 range.

This date is essentially unavailable in Uncirculated and it is extremely hard to find in properly grades AU58. So, this nice AU55 is about the best quality that is available to the serious collector of Carson City gold.