1870-CC $10 VF25 Certification #02746330, PCGS #8658

From Rusty Goe, Southgate Coins - Navy Mustang Collection

Doug Winter

This is the rarest and most famous eagle from the Carson City mint. It is actually close in overall rarity to the highly-prized (and priced!) double eagle of this date/mint but it is less popular and still only valued at a fraction of its larger cousin. There were 5,098 struck and I believe that around 50 or so are known today. Most 1870-CC eagles are very well-worn as this issue, like nearly all the early gold pieces from this mint, saw considerable use in local commerce. Any 1870-CC eagle that grades Extremely Fine is quite rare and properly graded AU's are very rare with around a half dozen or so known to me. The finest 1870-CC eagle that I have seen is a PCGS AU55 (last sold as ANR 8/06: 1341) that brought $115,000 which is a record for this issue. Every example I have seen is heavily bagmarked and most are weakly struck on the hair along the face. Most have been cleaned or dipped and negative eye appeal tends to greatly impact this issue.

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David Akers (1975/88)

The 1870-CC is one of the two rarest Carson City Mint Eagles, comparable in overall rarity to the lower mintage 1879-CC. However, if one takes condition rarity into account as well as overall rarity, then the 1870-CC would be rated as the rarest Eagle from this Mint. In fact, only the famous Double Eagle of the same date surpasses the 1870-CC Eagle as the rarest of all Carson City gold coins. To the best of my knowledge, this very rare date is unknown in strictly uncirculated condition.