The Carson City mint produced eagles from 1870 through 1884, and again from 1890 through 1893. Of the three denominations of gold coins produced at this facility, in my experience, the $10 eagles are—by far—the most difficult to acquire in higher grades.

This 19-coin series features no impossible rarities but virtually every date is rare (or in many cases either unknown or excessively rare) in Uncirculated. Many are rare to very rare in attractive, original AU55 and AU58, and some are extremely tough to find even in the lower AU grades.

In this guide, I’ll discuss each date and give you the numbers graded with deep analysis. I’ll suggest ways to collect this series, clue you in on the best values in this series, discuss finest knowns, and share personal observations of a lifetime pursuit of these charismatic issues.

Due to its length, I am publishing this study in two parts.

Date-by-Date Analysis:

Let’s take a deep dive into the Carson City eagle series. We will look at every date and I’ll share some of my insider’s insights with you on each of these coins.

1870-CC

In terms of its overall rarity, the 1870-CC is only the second rarest date of this design from Carson City, but its first-year-of-issue status and high collector demand make it the most expensive CC eagle.

The 1870-CC is most often seen in much lower grades and it is a rarity in higher grades. There are an estimated 50-60 pieces known with the majority of these in VG to VF grades. Coins graded Extremely Fine by both services tend to be unappealing and overgraded, while the majority of the AU50 to AU53 coins I have been offered are EF45 at best, and are often recolored or doctored.

The single nicest EF I have seen is the Bender PCGS/CAC EF45 coin which I purchased for a client in Heritage’s 2022 ANA for a strong $192,000. I doubt if there are more than five or so EF 1870-CC eagles that I like enough that I would actually them purchase for my inventory.

I don’t believe that there are more than four or five true About Uncirculated 1870-CC eagles currently accounted for. The single best is the PCGS/CAC AU58 that turned up in Canada in 2023, and later sold for a record-smashing $1,080,000 as Stack’s Bowers 2023 ANA: 557

COLLECTING TIPS: You’ll likely be spending well into six figures for this coin, so be patient and wait for the right piece to come available. I would rather have a decent VF25 than a chewed-up, unnatural EF45, or a solid for the grade EF45 than a crappy AU53.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: A single very worn example—graded G6 by PCGS— was present and it brought $72,000 as Stacks Bowers 4/2022: 5290.

1871-CC

Due to the rarity and high price of the 1870-CC, for some collectors, the 1871-CC will be the first date that is featured in their set. An estimated 100-110 are known, and lower grade examples shouldn’t be that difficult to locate. This date becomes challenging in nice EF45 and it is quite rare in AU. While the 1874-CC is the only date from this decade that is more available, I regard the 1871-CC as a genuinely scarce coin in nice EF45 and higher.

There are only two Uncirculated examples known. The better of the two is the Lang/Battle Born PCGS MS62+ that sold for $126,500 as Stack’s Bowers 2012 ANA: 11021. It is now in the Tyrant Collection.

I doubt if there are more than seven to nine 1871-CC eagles currently known that would consider to be “choice.’ If you have to have a CAC approved coin, note that just a dozen are currently stickered with the breakdown as follows:

AU: 3
EF: 5
VF and lower: 4

COLLECTING TIPS: Disregard the rigmarole that this is a “common date.” Yes, it’s easier to locate than an 1870-CC, but it’s going to be a real challenge to locate a nice EF or AU 1871-CC. As with all of the CC eagles from the 1870s, if you see the right coin, you’ll need to be very aggressive.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: I am not aware of there having been any 1871-CC eagles in the Fairmont Hoard.

1872-CC

I see more very low grade (VG to Fine) examples of this date than nearly any other CC eagle. I fact, I think it’s even a bit overpriced in these popular collector grades. However, properly graded EF 1872-CC are another story altogether. I regard this date as rare in full EF45, and very rare in About Uncirculated (there are likely fewer than 10 true-to-the-grade AU50 to AU 55) plus two or three in AU58; none of which have been available for over a decade.

There is a single NGC MS62 1872-CC that is far and away the finest known. It resides in the Tyrant Collection, and it was purchased out of the Heritage 2020 FUN sale for $240,000.

I believe that around 80-90 are known with at least one-third of these either in very low grades or showing visible problems.

COLLECTING TIPS: A surprisingly high number have been approved by CAC (a total of 16 as of mid-2025, including five in AU and seven in EF) which means that if you are patient, you should be able to find an above-average example of this date. In my opinion, I’d rather a passionate collector own a crusty PCGS/CAC EF45 than a processed, lifeless PCGS AU53.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: A small number of 1872-CC eagles were found in the Fairmont Hoard. The best two were as follows:

PCGS EF40: Stack’s Bowers 2022 ANA: 3298 ($22,800).
PCGS VF35CAC: Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5295 ($21,000).

1873-CC

With more total varieties known (from the cent through the double eagle) than any other late(r) 19th century year, the 1873-CC eagle is, conversely, short and to the point. I’ll be short and to the point as well. The 1873-CC eagle is among the rarest dates of this type.

Prior to the mid-2010s, the 1873-CC was also among the more underpriced of the better date eagles from this mint. I can pinpoint the exact sale where the 1873-CC went from overlooked to fully in focus: the PCGS AU53 Bently Collection coin which Heritage sold for $58,750 in March 2014. Since then, we’ve seen two APRs for this date at over $100,000, and another at $99,000.

There are an estimated 60-70 known, with an estimated 60 to 70%+ of these grading VG to EF. There are likely not more than seven to eight legit AU coins, and nothing I am aware of comes even remotely close to Uncirculated. The highest graded 1873-CC is a single PCGS/CAC AU58 which I sold to DL Hansen as part of the Northern California Collection, and the next best is a PCGS/CAC AU55 which I regard as the second finest known.

COLLECTING TIPS: This will be among the most difficult CC eagles you’ll need to locate for your set. With as few as five or six nice AUs known, there will never be enough coins available to meet the demand. The same scenario is also playing out with EF examples, and if you can locate a nice PCGS/CAC coin in EF45, expect to pay over $50,000 to own it.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: There were no 1873-CC eagles in the Fairmont Hoard.

1874-CC

By the standards of 1870s Carson City eagles, the 1874-CC is a “common” date with as many as 250-350 known in all grades. It is unquestionably rare in AU55 and AU58 grades, and it is an extremely rare coin in Uncirculated with only two known: an NGC MS65, and a PCGS MS63. In the 2012 Stack’s Bowers ANA sale, the MS63 sold for a record-setting $195,000 while I have not seen the MS65 since it last sold in 2002. Both of these coins represent amazing quality for a pre-1890 eagle from Carson City, and were likely put away around the time they were made.

This is generally a well-made coin and if obtaining an example in comparatively high grades is not your primary goal, it will not be hard to locate a nice Extremely Fine. In About Uncirculated grades, the challenge will be far greater. CAC has not approved any higher than three AU55s, and with another five seen in the lower AU grades (three in 50 and two in 53) this is a grand total of just eight.

COLLECTING TIPS: This is likely the only CC eagle from the 1870s that you’ll be able to be a bit picky about when looking for a coin. I would suggest a nice CAC EF45 if you can find one; this should cost around $10,000+.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: Around 11 were in the Fairmont Hoard, with the single best the Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5300 coin, graded AU50 by PCGS/CAC, at $19,200.

1875-CC

Around 10-15 years ago, I viewed the 1875-CC as comparable in overall rarity to the 1871-CC and the 1872-CC. It appears that a number of examples have come onto the market—likely from overseas sources, and I now view this date as the second most available Carson City eagle from the 1870s.

As with every other pre-1880 eagle from this mint, a significant percentage of the surviving 125-150 examples of the 1875-CC grade EF40 or lower. It has been close to a decade since a PCGS graded 1875-CC $10 finer than AU53 has been sold at auction (January 2017 to be exact). In this period, there have been just four APRs for PCGS/CAC AU 1875-CC eagles.

There are two known in Uncirculated, with the single finest graded NGC MS63; it currently resides in a PCGS MS62 holder. AN NGC MS60 sold for $84,000 as Heritage 2/2018: 4293. This remains an auction record price for this date.

This issue is almost always weak at the centers and in my experience, it is the single most challenging CC eagle to locate with sharp central definition.

COLLECTING TIPS: With 17 specimens currently showing approval at CAC, the picky collector should be able to be patient and wait for the exact right coin for this set; so long as the coin grades AU50 or lower.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: There were at least 10 examples from this source graded by PCGS and sold between 2022 and 2025 by Stack’s Bowers. The highest graded were three different coins in PCGS AU50. The market for this issue was broad enough that it was able to maintain values in spite of this significant increase in population.

1876-CC

The 1876-CC is nearly identical to the 1875-CC eagle in terms of its overall and high grade rarity. It, too, has seen an influx of coins from overseas sources in the last decade+. Unlike the 1875-CC, many of these sales have been by private treaty.

This date is unknown in Uncirculated and there are just three PCGS AU58 coins; two of these are CAC approved. The single best is the ex-Battle Born coin that sold twice in 2022; once for a staggering $192,000 and again—half a year later—for $144,000.

I would estimate that around 10-15 are known in AU grades, with most in the AU50 to AU53 range. Examples are typically very strongly abraded and these marks are intensified by the quality of the surfaces.

COLLECTING TIPS: There is a variance in strike quality for this issue, with many coins weak at the centers but with a small percentage of 1876-CC eagles coming well-struck. I find strike quality to be unimportant as far as pre-1933 US gold coins goes. In other words, you should never pass on a below average strike issue which is otherwise high-end. (An exception to this rule is avoiding 1850-C and 1850-D and 1854-C and 1854-D Weak Mintmark half eagles).

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: There appears to have been just two 1876-CC eagles in this hoard. The better of the pair brought $36,000 as Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5303. It graded AU53 at PCGS, and was also approved by CAC.

1877-CC

This my single favorite issue in this date run. For quite a while, the 1877-CC was undervalued, but the market has caught on to the rarity of this issue. It is similar in rarity to the 1873-CC, and with that issue currently selling for a rather hefty premium over the 1877-CC, this issue might still be ok+ value overall.

I think that there are around five to six dozen known with most in the VF and EF grades. Properly graded AU coins are very rare with fewer than 10 known, and maybe half of these ca be called “choice.” The single best 1877-CC eagle is the Heritage 2/2018: 4300 coin graded AU58 by PCGS. It set a price record for this date at $102,000. The next best is the DL Hansen coin which DWN sold to him as part of the Northern California collection; a complete high grade set of CC eagles which we built for a client in the early 2000s.

The same comments that I made above for the 1873-CC apply to this date. Nice 1877-CC eagles are incontrovertibly rare, and if you see one you like, you should realize that years might pass between good examples of this date becoming available.

COLLECTING TIPS: I doubt if there are more than six to eight nice to very nice 1877-CC eagles which exist in their original state. And this number has been puffed-up rather handily due to the three nice examples from the Fairmont Hoard that hit the market in 2022.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: There were three 1877-CC eagles in the Fairmont Hoard. The best was a PCGS/CAC AU50 that sold for a strong $60,000 as Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5305. Next came a PCGS/ CAC EF45 for $22,800 as Stack’s 11/2022: 7256. Rounding out this trio was a PCGS EF45 at $24,000 as Stack’s Bowers 8/2022: 3308.

1878-CC

This rare date has the second lowest mintage of any Carson City eagle with 3,244 produced. It is actually less challenging to locate in About Uncirculated than the 1872-CC, the 1873-CC and the 1877-CC although AU55”s with attractive natural color and choice surfaces are very rare. This date is unknown in Uncirculated and unique in PCGS AU58; again a DL Hansen coin acquired from me and once a core member of the Northern California Collection of CC eagles.

In 2018 I purchased a hoard of five raw 1878-CC eagles from a New England physician. The finest was a PCGS AU55 example that I sold to Tom Bender, and then repurchased it for $60,000 as Heritage 2022 ANA: 3618. All of the remaining four graded at least EF40.

The 1878-CC is a little less scarce than a coin with the second lowest mintage of any CC eagle would suggest. There are an estimated 70-80 known, with around six or seven AU55 coins, plus one or two that are grade AU58.

COLLECTING TIPS: Even coins which I would consider “mostly original” have a somewhat clean-y look. This is not the case of any ultra-crusty 1878-CC eagles, but other coins in the EF40 to AU53 range have a glossy look with a sort of dull finish; these will always grade at PCGS and NGC, but a few nicer than average 1878-CC eagles have been called “No Grades” by the services when they should have been straight-graded.

1878-CC is yet another challenging date in the very difficult 1870s CC eagle date run. Unless you are very lucky, it is likely to take at least two or three years to locate a nice example

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: There were just two examples of this date in Fairmont.

These were as follows:

PCGS EF45: Stack’s Bowers 8/2022: 3311 ($26,400)
PCGS AU50: Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5308 ($31,200)

1879-CC

Unless you really know this series, you are likely not familiar with the rarity of the 1879-CC. Despite the lowest mintage figure of any gold issue from Carson City (only 1,762 coins) it is not fully appreciated. I regard it as both the rarest Eagle from this mint in terms of both its overall and high grade rarity with around 45-55 known in total. In nice EF, the 1879-CC is extremely scarce and it is rare in AU. I am aware of four or five in AU55 to AU58, with the best of these a single PCGS AU58+. There is a single Uncirculated piece known graded MS62 by NGC which I regard as one of the most valuable CC eagles from the 1870s, along with the million dollar PCGS AU58 1870-CC, the unique 1872-CC in NGC MS62 and the Gem NGC MS65 1874-CC.

More than any other CC eagle, the 1879-CC suffers from deep, detracting marks and the lack of coins with original surfaces will prove frustrating to the finicky collector.

In my opinion, this coin remains quite undervalued, especially in EF and AU grades.

COLLECTING TIPS: With just three coins in AU—all graded 53—and none finer, it’s going to be quite a challenge to locate a nice 1879-CC with CAC approval. This is compounded by the fact that none of them—one graded by NGC and the other two by PCGS—is especially nice.

THE FAIRMONT EFFECT: Just one 1879-CC was present in the Fairmont Hoard. It was as follows:

PCGS EF45: Stack’s Bowers 4/2022: 5311 ($43,200)

TOTAL COINS GRADED BY PCGS, 6/2025

TOTAL COINS APPROVED BY CAC, 6/2025

    DATE
    TOTAL COINS APPROVED
BY CAC
  


    
    G-EF
    AU
    MS
    TOTAL
  

    1870-CC
    6
    3
    0
    9
  

    1871-CC
    9
    3
    0
    12
  

    1872-CC
    11
    5
    0
    16
  

    1873-CC
    7
    6
    0
    13
  

    1874-CC
    32
    8
    0
    40
  

    1875-CC
    11
    6
    0
    17
  

    1876-CC
    12
    6
    0
    18
  

    1877-CC
    12
    3
    0
    15
  

    1878-CC
    4
    7
    0
    11
  

    1879-CC
    7
    3
    0
    10
  

In Part II, we’ll be covering the 1880-1884 and the 1890-1893 issues.

Are you interested in assembling a set of nice quality Carson City eagles? I’ve helped build a number of important sets including the Nevada Collection, the Northern California Collection, the Tahoe Collection, the Orange County Collection, and the Wesson Collection. Please contact me via phone at 214.675.9897 to discuss beginning a high-quality set.