Bidders certainly agreed with Professional Coin Grading Service that this 1879-CC Morgan dollar was high end, as the Mint State 65+ stunner brought $48,000 at Heritage’s December Premier Session auction. The issue is a semi-key date in the series and remains scarce in Mint State grade. Even though more than 4,000 examples were distributed during the General Services Administration’s sale of the U.S. Treasury hoard between 1972 and 1974, most of these were heavily bag-marked. 

Inside Coin World: Finding a 1923-S Peace dollar in circulation: We preview columns exclusive to the Jan. 14 print and digital editions of Coin World, including “Found in Rolls” and “Detecting Counterfeits.”

PCGS has graded only 103 1879-CC Morgan dollars in MS-65, with 14 in MS-65+ and four in MS-66 with none finer. A typical MS-65 representative of the date brought $21,600 at Heritage’s September Long Beach auctions while the last auction of a PCGS MS-65+ example was at Heritage’s January 2017 Florida United Numismatists show, where one with significant toning and carrying a green Certified Acceptance Corp. sticker sold for $32,900. 

Given the rarity in MS-66, several collectors agreed that the MS-65+ subject coin was the best alternative, with its untoned, frosty Mint luster and exceptionally clean cheek on the obverse.