1889-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle, NGC AU55--Popular Carson City Issue

It is with great pleasure that we at AUCM offer a Popular Carson City Issue to the collecting community: 1889-CC $20 Liberty Head, graded NGC AU55. The 19 different $20 Liberty head double eagles produced at the Carson City mint from 1870 to 1893 are among the most popular sets in American numismatics. Recent years have seen prices soar. This is due to both promotion efforts and legitimate collector interest. This offering, an 1889-CC, is a very popular date among Carson City mint issue specialists.

The creation of the double eagle design and coin saw conflict reach a fever pitch within the U.S. mint--between chief coiner Franklin Peale and mint director Robert Patterson on one side, and chief engraver James B. Longacre on the other. Patterson despised the senator who influenced Longacre's appointment, while Peale was running an illicit private business making medals for private clients--on the mint's dime with their equipment--with the mint director's unspoken approval. Peale had possession of the Contamin portrait lathe, which was needed to reduce models of designs of medals and coins to reductions from which working dies could be made. Peale did not want to share the lathe, which was a problem when the new double eagle was being created. Obstacle after obstacle was thrown in Longacre's path as he worked on the coin. Harassment was a constant companion for the skilled engraver, from both Patterson and Peale. It was the result of corruption by and friendship between the two mint officers. No help with engraving work, broken galvanos, broken dies, rejected dies--on more than one occasion--and a false claim of being relieved from his position--were what Longacre had to face daily. Finally he went to the Treasury Secretary in Washington, who discovered all the lies told about Longacre and his work from the Mint officials; that meeting saved his job as chief engraver.