1873-CC

Carson City struck just 22,410 double eagles in 1873, the fourth annual issue from the silver-state branch and the closing chapter of its earliest, hardest tier of $20 gold. Following the 1870-CC (3,789), 1871-CC (14,687), and 1872-CC (29,650), this date sits among the four key Carson City double eagles that bullion-era attrition and active circulation in Nevada commerce thinned to a fraction of original output. Production at the Nevada branch in 1873 still leaned on dies sourced from Philadelphia, and the operational rhythms that shaped earlier CC double eagles continued to produce the soft strikes and bag-marked surfaces that define the issue's modern condition profile across both circulated and Mint State material.

A logotype distinction sets this date apart from its 1873-dated siblings. Carson City used only the Closed 3 date punch, while the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints produced both Closed 3 and Open 3 reverses that year. There is no Open 3 1873-CC, and any coin advertised as such warrants scrutiny. Strike quality follows the era's CC norms: soft central detail on Liberty's hair, frequently weak stars, and bagginess from rough handling at the branch are typical, with original orange-gold or pale green color uncommon. Specialist Doug Winter has described the date as one that is "quite hard to find in the higher circulated grades," noting that examples are "typically seen with dull, baggy surfaces."

Auction history reflects the date's standing. Heritage sold an NGC AU58 for $23,500 in October 2012, and Stack's Bowers brought $55,813 for a PCGS MS61 in January 2013, with truly Mint State pieces remaining in the low single digits across both major services. Counterfeit and altered-date concerns are real for this issue: added CC mintmarks lifted from common-date hosts have been documented for the early Carson City double eagles, making certification by PCGS or NGC effectively a baseline requirement. Within the broader CC double eagle hierarchy that runs from the 1870-CC through the 1891-CC, this date holds firm key status alongside its three early-tier peers. For broader context, see the Liberty Head Double Eagle series history.