1885-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle. MS-62 (PCGS).

Simply put, this is one of the most significant Carson City Mint double eagle rarities that we have ever had the privilege of bringing to auction. It is a nearly Choice, visually appealing coin displaying a bold blend of honey-gold color and frosty mint luster. Sharply to fully struck with enhancing blushes of iridescent pinkish-apricot. Only 9,450 double eagles were coined at the Carson City Mint in 1885, by far the smallest production figure of any $20 from this facility during the 1880s. This is the final Carson City Mint double eagle coinage until 1889-CC; the frontier mint struck no coins of any denomination from 1886 to 1888. Writing in the excellent reference The Confident Carson City Coin Collector (2020), Rusty Goe accounts for just 20 to 25 Mint State coins among the 360 to 425 pieces believed extant in all grades. The finest example confirmed by the author is the marvelous Battle Born specimen in PCGS/CAC MS-62 that fetched $57,500 in our August 2012 sale of that collection. Our recent (Spring 2022 Auction) offering of the Fairmont's Collection Hendricks Set introduced an incredible PCGS/CAC MS-63 example to the market, which fetched a stunning $264,000. Its counterpart in the current Fairmont offering is also a newcomer to the market, and also solidly in the Condition Census for the issue. We expect it to see spirited bidding that will result in a strong price at the assigned grade level.

PCGS# 9004. NGC ID: 26BN.

PCGS Population: 13; 2 finer (both MS-63).

From the Fairmont Collection - CBL Set.