1879-CC

Doug Winter ranks the 1879-CC ten dollar Liberty as the rarest Carson City eagle by total number graded, edging out even the celebrated 1870-CC in raw survivor count. The mintage of 1,762 pieces is the lowest of any gold coin produced at the Nevada facility across its 23-year run, and population data from the major services bears out the rarity claim: PCGS records only two examples in AU58 with none finer, while NGC holds a single, anomalous Mint State piece that stands alone above the entire certified population. Estimates of total survivors range from roughly 55 to 85 across all grades depending on which specialist is consulted, but every accounting confirms this issue as the apex date of the series.

Verification work begins with weight, which must register 16.718 grams within tolerance, and specific gravity readings should sit near 17.2 for the 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper alloy. The CC mintmark on the reverse demands close scrutiny under magnification, since the combination of extreme rarity and a more available 1879 Philadelphia coin makes added-mintmark forgery a genuine threat; authentic CC punches show consistent serif structure and seating depth that altered specimens rarely replicate. Most surviving examples grade between VF and EF, often with the soft strikes and granular surfaces typical of late Carson City production. Buyers should insist on PCGS or NGC certification, and ideally a CAC sticker, given the price level and the documented forgery history surrounding low-mintage CC gold.

Auction comparables anchor the market firmly. The Heritage February 2020 Jacobson Collection sale brought $55,200 for a PCGS AU58 example, and Winter has projected $85,000 to $90,000 as a fair retail figure for that grade based on parallel pricing of the 1873-CC and 1877-CC. Mid-grade EF coins trade in the mid-five-figures when they appear, which is rarely. Collectors pursuing a complete CC eagle date set must reckon with this issue early, since opportunities surface only every few years and condition rarities are essentially non-existent above AU58. For broader context on the type, see the Liberty Head Eagle series history.