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The 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle is a $20 gold coin so rare that only about 35 to 65 examples are known to survive out of a mintage of 3,789. No confirmed Mint State example exists, and a top-graded piece sold for $1.44 million in 2024. This is the coin every serious Carson City collector chases, and understanding why takes more than a glance at its gold content.
What Is the 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle?
The 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle is a $20 gold piece struck at the Carson City Mint in its very first year of operation. It carries the CC mintmark, the mark of the Nevada mint that opened to serve the silver and gold boom of the American West.
Collectors sometimes call it the Coronet Double Eagle because of the crown-like coronet on Liberty's head. It belongs to the Liberty Head Double Eagle series, which ran from 1850 to 1907, and more specifically to the Type 2 subtype within that series. Among Type 2 coins, the 1870-CC stands out as the one most collectors say is the hardest of all to find.
Why Was the 1870-CC Minted at Carson City?
The Carson City Mint opened in 1870 to turn raw silver and gold from the nearby Comstock Lode into coins close to where the metal was mined. Shipping bullion all the way to Philadelphia or San Francisco was slow and risky, so Nevada got its own mint.
That first year of production is exactly why the 1870-CC matters so much today. First-year Carson City coins carry extra weight with collectors because they mark the start of a mint with a short, colorful run tied directly to the frontier gold and silver rush. The 1870-CC double eagle is the very first double eagle that mint ever struck.
Carson City Mint and the 1870-CC Double Eagle
1870
Carson City Mint opens First double eagles struck with the CC mintmark, including this 3,789-coin issue
1870-1900s
Coins circulate hard Most survivors show heavy wear from years of use in commerce and banking
2024
Finest known example sells A PCGS AU55 piece brings $1,440,000 at auction, the top known result for the date
How Many 1870-CC Double Eagles Were Made?
Only 3,789 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagles were struck. That is a tiny number for a coin meant to circulate as everyday money in the 1870s, and it is one of the smallest mintages in the entire double eagle series.
For comparison, many later Carson City double eagles had mintages in the tens of thousands or more. A run under 4,000 coins, most of which then spent decades passing hand to hand in Western commerce, sets up the extreme scarcity collectors deal with today.
How Rare Is the 1870-CC Double Eagle Today?
The 1870-CC is rare enough that researchers cannot even agree on an exact survivor count, with estimates ranging from about 35 to 65 pieces depending on the source and how resubmitted coins get counted. No confirmed Mint State example has ever surfaced.
Most surviving pieces grade Very Fine to Extremely Fine, meaning they show real wear from years of use. The best known examples reach About Uncirculated, and the single finest piece PCGS has graded is an AU55. That coin sold for $1,440,000 in 2024, a record that shows just how much collectors will pay for the best surviving specimen of this date.
XQHL Key Numbers for the 1870-CC Double Eagle 3,789;Coins originally struck 35 to 65;Estimated survivors today 0;Confirmed Mint State examples $1,440,000;Top auction result, 2024, PCGS AU55
Why so few survive comes down to how the coin was used. Double eagles were workhorse money for banks, merchants, and gold shipments in the 1870s West, not something people tucked away. Most got melted, spent hard, or lost to time, leaving only a small pool for today's collectors.
What Does the 1870-CC Double Eagle Look Like?
The obverse shows Liberty's head facing left, circled by 13 stars with the 1870 date at the bottom. The reverse carries an eagle holding a shield, arrows, and an olive branch, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, TWENTY D., and the CC mintmark worked into the design.
This is the same basic Liberty Head design used across the double eagle series from 1850 to 1907, though the Type 2 variety used on the 1870-CC has its own specific reverse lettering arrangement collectors look for. If you want to see how this same coronet design carried over to smaller gold denominations, our guide to collecting Gold Liberty Half Eagles covers the half eagle side of the same Liberty Head family.
What Is the 1870-CC Double Eagle Worth?
An 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle is typically worth well into six figures, even in heavily worn grades, because rarity drives the price far more than condition does. At the very top, an AU55 example has sold for $1.44 million.
Here is roughly how the market has broken down by grade:
Grade Range
Typical Market Context
Heavily worn circulated
Often well into six figures
Fine to Very Fine
Still commonly six figures given the extreme rarity
About Uncirculated (AU)
Roughly $1 million to $1.5 million at the top end
Mint State
None confirmed to exist
Prices swing hard based on eye appeal, originality, and whether the surface shows old cleaning or damage. Two coins in the same technical grade can sell for very different prices if one has better color or fewer marks. Keeping an eye on live gold and silver price charts helps you separate day-to-day metal price moves from the much larger rarity premium built into a coin like this.
Is the 1870-CC Double Eagle Worth More Than Its Gold Content?
Yes, by a wide margin. The coin is 90% gold and 10% copper, holding 0.9675 troy ounce of pure gold, which at a gold spot price of $4,359 an ounce at the time of writing works out to a melt value of about $4,219.
That number matters for context, not for pricing the coin. A six-figure or seven-figure sale price means well over 99% of the coin's value comes from its rarity and history, not its metal content. Buying or selling this coin based on melt value alone would be a serious mistake.
ℹ️ Info: The gap between melt and market value here is enormous. A coin worth about $4,200 in raw gold can sell for over a million dollars once collectors weigh in its 3,789 mintage, its first-year Carson City status, and the fact that no Mint State example is known.
How Can You Tell If an 1870-CC Double Eagle Is Real?
Send the coin to a major grading service before buying or selling, because counterfeiting risk rises sharply once a coin's price tag reaches six figures. Grading also settles questions about wear, cleaning, and any old damage that would otherwise be hard to spot with the naked eye.
Pay close attention to the coin's provenance too, meaning the record of who has owned it and when it last sold. A documented history at a major auction house adds confidence and can add value, since buyers feel safer with a coin that has a clear paper trail rather than one that just appeared out of nowhere.
What to Check Before Buying an 1870-CC Double Eagle
Pros
✓ Grading by a major service, since fakes and altered coins exist at this price point
✓ A clean provenance trail through recognized auction houses
✓ Honest, original surfaces rather than cleaned or polished metal
Cons
✗ Mount marks or jewelry alteration, which can cut value sharply
✗ Old repairs or plugged holes that are easy to miss without a close look
✗ Sellers who price the coin off gold spot instead of rarity and grade
What Are the Biggest Myths About the 1870-CC Double Eagle?
The biggest myth is that this coin should be priced like ordinary gold bullion. It is a numismatic rarity, and its price has almost nothing to do with the spot price of gold on any given day.
A few other misunderstandings show up again and again:
Not all Carson City gold is equally rare. The 1870-CC ranks among the scarcest CC issues, far scarcer than many other Carson City coins from later years.
A worn, low-grade example is not cheap. Rarity carries the price even in coins that show heavy circulation.
There is no hidden stash of Mint State pieces waiting to be found. None have ever been confirmed to exist.
One story that keeps coming up among collectors involves an unremarkable-looking coin turning up in an old family collection and later being recognized as a six-figure rarity. It is a good reminder that coins like this do not always announce themselves, and a quick look by someone who knows the series can matter a lot.
How Does the 1870-CC Compare to Other Liberty Head Double Eagles?
The 1870-CC sits at the extreme end of the Liberty Head Double Eagle series for rarity, while most other dates and mints in the series are far more available to everyday collectors. If you like the coin's design and history but want an example within closer reach, a random-year Liberty Head Double Eagle from a more common date carries the same 0.9675 ounce gold content and Coronet design without the six-figure rarity premium.
That gives you a way to own a piece of the same series and hold real gold weight, while still leaving room to chase a Carson City rarity like the 1870-CC down the road if the budget and the right coin line up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagles were minted?
The Carson City Mint struck 3,789 examples of the 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle.
How rare is the 1870-CC double eagle today?
It is one of the rarest Carson City double eagles, with an estimated 35 to 65 survivors and no confirmed Mint State examples.
What is the 1870-CC double eagle made of?
It is 90% gold and 10% copper, holding 0.9675 troy ounce of pure gold.
What is an 1870-CC Liberty Head Double Eagle worth?
Depending on grade and eye appeal, values run from well into six figures for worn examples up to roughly $1.44 million for the finest known AU55 piece sold in 2024.
Why is the 1870-CC so valuable compared to other double eagles?
Its low mintage of 3,789, tiny surviving population, first-year Carson City status, and strong collector demand all combine to push the price far above its metal value.
Should I value the 1870-CC based on the gold spot price?
No. Its melt value is only about $4,219 at a gold spot price of $4,359 an ounce at the time of writing, which is far below its collectible value.
What does the CC mintmark mean on this coin?
CC marks coins struck at the Carson City Mint in Nevada, which opened in 1870 and produced this double eagle in its first year of operation.
If you are hoping to add a piece of Carson City history to your collection, take a look at our Liberty Head Double Eagles selection to see what is currently in stock. And if you are thinking about selling a Liberty Head double eagle or other rare gold coin, our guide on how to sell gold coins walks through your options, whether you visit us in Salem, Oregon, or ship it in from anywhere in the country.
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