This extraordinary 1871-CC half eagle is one of the finest known survivors of this important issue. The 1871-CC boasts a mintage of just 20,770 pieces achieved in the second year of operations at the Carson City Mint, making it a scarce issue in absolute terms. Surprisingly, while the 1871-CC is scarce-to-rare in all grades, it still ranks as the most available date in the early Carson City series. Doug Winter estimates a surviving population of 140-150 specimens, most in lower circulated grades. In Mint State, the 1871-CC is extremely rare.