1883-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS XF45 (CAC)

Here’s an attractive piece to include in your collection. The 1883-CC twenty is among the more available Carson City double eagles—and is one of the few candidates for a $20 type coin from that mint. The popularity of the 1883-CC twenty is based on the desirability of all coins from the famed Carson City Mint. This Carson City issue can be located in circulated grades, but only a small percentage of certified examples are bestowed with the CAC green sticker.

Of 1,414 original examples graded by PCGS, there are only 238 with CAC approval. That represents only 16.83 percent. Writes Heritage Auctions, “Importations from Europe have made this low-mintage [59,962] Carson City double eagle issue more accessible in recent years, but it is still subject to much greater demand than the available supply can satisfy.”

PCGS has graded 245 as XF45 with 945 finer. Collectors Universe prices this issue at $6,000.00 in XF45. In CAC, there are 38 in XF45 with 186 finer. CAC gives this issue a price of $6,450.00 in XF45.

The famous 1849 pattern Liberty Head double eagle designed by James B. Longacre. It is housed in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.