Based on the lot description by James
Matthews, Senior Numismatist and Consignment Director, U.S. Coins.
Stack’s Bowers is headed to
Philadelphia, the historic city where the first coins were struck under the
Mint Act of April 2, 1792. Featured in our official auction of the Whitman Coin
and Collectibles Expo is lot 3539, a beautiful 1893-CC Liberty Double Eagle,
graded Mint State 62 by NGC. The present example is dressed in mottled
pinkish-rose overtones and medium orange surfaces. The colors are exceptionally
vivid, especially for a Carson City Mint double eagle of this date. The
surfaces are fully lustrous with bright frosty texture which accents the razor
sharp striking detail.
This is the final year of coinage
for the Carson City Mint. The restoration and return to power of Grover
Cleveland and his longstanding feud with the Carson City Mint, took one last
turn in his favor, and the doors remained closed soon after this double eagle
was struck. President Cleveland felt it was redundant, the Carson City Mint,
and believed the San Francisco or other mints could strike the necessary coins.
Perhaps he was right, as the mining output had diminished considerably from the
heyday of the 1870s when the various mines that combined to form the Comstock
Load began to peter out quickly as the ore laden veins played out
quickly after incredible riches were withdrawn in the few short decades prior
to the 1890s.
This 1893-CC double eagle
represents the passing of an era, a free wheeling and wild west time that saw
the sunset upon the expansive mining capability of this region. This piece has
outstanding quality and is destined for a high grade collection where this coin
will be long appreciated.
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