Jeff Ambio: Only a single die marriage of this, 4,696-piece issue has been identified. The obverse has a medium size date, slightly low in the field; the digit 6 is nearly closed with the top almost touching the loop. The CC mintmark is positioned very similar to that on the reverse of the 1875-CC, with the first C also slightly higher than the second. On the 1876-CC, however, both Cs are boldly impressed.

The overall workmanship for the 1876-CC is an improvement over that seen in the 1875-CC eagle, although the centers on both issues tend to be lightly struck with a more or less blunt appearance.

Rusty Goe: The Treasury Department practically put the halt on the production of any kind of gold coins other than double eagles in 1876. Meanwhile, as stated by Director H.R. Linderman in his 1876 annual report, Treasury Secretary Lot M. Morrill had ordered all the mints to run without breaks all year to build up the supply of subsidiary silver coins.

The gold question remained significant. Germany and several other European countries had converted to the gold standard since 1871. France had commenced an effort to restore its gold reserves subsequent to its immense loss of same after the Franco-Prussian War. Linderman said these events had caused the demand for gold to exceed "the supply available for coinage from the mines of the world."

Treasury officers concluded that, in addition to the millions of subsidiary silver coins mandated by the Specie Resumption Act, they needed to increase their reserves of $20 gold pieces, at the expense of all other gold denominations. The Philadelphia Mint struck only 687 eagles in 1876. The San Francisco branch contributed 5,000 pieces; Carson City turned out 4,696, all before June 30.

A curious thing about this date is the relatively high surviving population. Perhaps the answer to why as many as four percent of the original mintage figure exists today comes from this issue's connection to the nation's centennial year.

Q. David Bowers: Of the 4,696 1876-CC half eagles struck, I estimate that 70 to 100 exist, and Rusty Goe suggests 165 to 210. I am not aware of a Mint State coin. By any accounting a nice AU is a wonderful coin.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the Fairmont Collection, Hendricks Set, where it realized $36,000.