US Gold Coins from the Carson City Mint
The Carson City Mint was operational from 1870 to 1885. The mint was shut down for political reasons in 1885 when Grover Cleveland became United States President. When Cleveland was replaced by Benjamin Harrison in 1889 the mint resumed operations, only to be shut down permanently when Cleveland returned to office for his second (non-consecutive) term in 1893. All Carson City coins are identified by the iconic CC mintmark.
Gold and silver coins were struck at the Carson City mint. The gold coins are especially interesting and all are valued at a premium well over the intrinsic value of their gold content. CC gold coins were struck in denominations of $5 (half eagle), $10 (eagle), and $20 (double eagle). Carson City gold coins are all of the so-called “Liberty Head” design. This gallery includes examples of each CC gold denomination.
Half Eagles were the smallest gold denomination struck at the Carson City mint. These coins are composed of 90% gold and weigh 8.359 grams, for a pure gold content 0.24187 troy ounces. Coins were struck from 1870 through 1884, and again from 1890 through 1893. Here are three examples of Carson City half eagles.
1874-CC Half Eagle: PCGS F-15 (Obverse)
1874-CC Half Eagle: PCGS F-15 (Reverse)
1880-CC Half Eagle: VF Details (Obverse)
1880-CC Half Eagle: VF Details (Reverse)
1893-CC Half Eagle: PCGS MS-62 (Obverse)
1893-CC Half Eagle: PCGS MS-62 (Reverse)
Like the five-dollar coins, ten-dollar gold pieces (Eagles) were produced at Carson City from 1870 through 1884 and from 1890 through 1893. A gold Eagle is exactly twice the size of a half eagle, weighing 16.718 grams with a net gold content of 0.48375 troy ounces. This CC Eagle was struck in 1881 and is graded XF-40 by PCGS.
1881-CC Eagle: PCGS XF-40 (Obverse)
1881-CC Eagle: PCGS XF-40 (Reverse)
Twenty dollar gold pieces (double eagles) were struck at Carson City from 1870 through 1879, then 1882 to 1885, and finally from 1889 through 1893. A gold Double Eagle is exactly twice the size of an eagle, weighing 33.436 grams with a net gold content of 0.96750 troy ounces. The following two examples are high-end About Uncirculated coins, grading AU-58 and AU-55, respectively.
1890-CC Double Eagle: PCGS AU-58 (Obverse)
1890-CC Double Eagle: PCGS AU-58 (Reverse)
1892-CC Double Eagle: PCGS AU-55 (Obverse)
1892-CC Double Eagle: PCGS AU-55 (Reverse)