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the Comstock Load began to peter out quickly as the ore laden veins played out quickly after incredible riches were withdrawn in the few short decades prior to the 1890s.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.
