1890-CC $20 Liberty Head Double Eagle PCGS AU50

Desirable Carson City issue at a price that won't break the bank in its assigned grade of AU50. Why is it reasonably priced? Heritage Auctions writes, "As with many other Liberty double eagle issues, an ample number of 1890-CC twenty dollar gold pieces were shipped in bags from the United States to overseas banks shortly after minting, eventually to find their way home many years later. And, as should be expected from large gold coins that were carelessly transported, most of the repatriated coins have surfaces marred with bagmarks." However, the example offered by AUCM does not have "surfaces marred with bagmarks" !

Gold Hill, Nevada, where the gold for this double eagle was mined.

PCGS has graded 255 as AU50, with 1,126 finer. The larger survivor population makes this a more affordable option for a Carson City Double Eagle, one that is a good candidate for a type coin for your collection. The Double Eagles struck at the Carson City Mint served two basic functions: a circulating instrument of commerce and a storehouse of value. The big $20 gold coins were the easiest way to mint, transport and trade the great amount of gold that had been recently been extracted from the earth of Nevada. As discussed above, since many of them were sent to banks in Europe, this issue was solely a storehouse of value.