1872-CC Coronet $20 Double Eagle
1872 was the third year of operation at the Carson City Mint. Gold bullion steadily poured into the facility, a marked improvement over the first two years. The total $20 double eagle “CC” production for 1872 was 26,900 pieces. Seemingly modest, but more than the output of 1870 and 1871 Carson double eagles combined.(1)
For the first three years of the branch mint’s existence, its coins largely remained in the “hard money” economy of the American West, where it circulated extensively.(2)
The 1872-CC double eagle, nor its contemporaries, was preserved for numismatic purposes. Few people could idle a $20 coin in an era where the average farm worker earned just $23 per month, and industrial laborers made only $129 annually.
Fascinating Fact: Scholars cannot say definitively how many 1872-CC double eagles were struck. Discrepant numbers in the Carson Mint’s records have created confusion. The mintage reported in the Redbook is 26,900, but there is some inconclusive evidence to suggest there were actually 29,650 pieces struck. We will probably never know.(3)
The 1872 $20 double eagle is not as rare as its two predecessors (the 1870-CC and 1871-CC double eagles), but it is scarce in all grades and one of the most desired dates in the long-running Coronet double eagle series.
In general, coins from the first three years of the Carson City Mint are especially revered by collectors. Because of their rich numismatic legacies, quite a few of these “CC” coins merit a home on the Key Date List of recommendations.
In the minds of serious collectors, few coins are more enticing than a large, rare gold piece struck during the startup years of the fabled Carson frontier mint. No wonder the 1872-CC double eagle has consistently soared in value for as long as anyone can remember.
| Estimated survivors in all grades: 402 ?
The survivor estimate from PCGS represents an average of one or more experts' opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in all grades. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services. Learn more at PCGS. |
| PCGS Rarity Scale: 6.1 ?
The 'PCGS CoinFacts Rarity Scale' assesses the relative rarity of all U.S. coins, based on estimated surviving examples. The scale runs from 1.0 to 10.0. The higher the number, the rarer the coin.
Learn more at PCGS. |
| Click HERE to check for availability on eBay** |
Preview of eBay selection (you might have better luck finding an 1872-CC $20 by clicking the HERE link above):
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| Trendline Avg = 18.63 | BETTER |
Historic Value Trend Charts:
| Last updated 9-13-23 |  |
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Sources
1. Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1872-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle. Apr 2022 Auction.
2. Heritage Auctions. 1872-CC $20 MS61. Jan 2017 Auction.
3. Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1872-CC Liberty Double Eagle. Aug 2012 Auction.
**Many very fine coin dealers sell on eBay. At any point in time, there may be over one million search results for United States coins. This includes quite a few of the recommendations on our Key Date Coin List.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a rare coin, eBay is certainly worth a look. For your convenience, the links from this site to eBay are coded to bring up only coins certified by PCGS and NGC.
As is always, always the case, never buy a valuable coin from a seller whose trustworthiness cannot be verified. Learn more about this at our chapter Best Places to Buy Coins, which also has a section on doing business on eBay.
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Coin images by Stack's Bowers Galleries.
