1885-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS XF45 (CAC)

Classic Carson City rarity in PCGS Old Green Holder!

The 1885-CC Liberty head double eagle is a rare issue with a mintage of merely 9,450 pieces. That makes it a challenging issue for collectors. The striking of coinage at the Carson City Mint ended in early 1885, and coinage did not resume until 1889.  The termination of production was because the Cleveland Administration suspended coinage at the Nevada branch mint during March of that year. Doug Winter reports that the leftover bullion was shipped to the Philadelphia Mint.

PCGS has graded 56 as XF45 with 197 finer. Collectors Universe prices this issue at $27,500.00 in XF45. In CAC, there are 8 in XF45 with 32 finer. CAC gives this issue a price of $25,900.00 in XF45.

The Carson City Mint, where this rare piece was produced in 1885. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

This is a popular Carson City issue, one that is always in great demand. It is the rarest of the CC-mint Double Eagle from the 1880s. That is according to the authoritative research of Rusty Goe in his 2020 book, The Confident Carson City Coin Collector. Goe estimates that there are about 400 surviving pieces today.

The entire production of 9,450 coins entered circulation at the time of issue, for the Old West had a “hard money” economy and employed gold and silver coinage in everyday commerce. It is interesting to note that the 1885-CC specimen in the Smithsonian collection grades XF45, placing the present offering from AU Capital Management in very good company. A number of pieces were exported for use in foreign trade, resulting in some fairly recent discoveries.