1872-CC Half Eagle (Carson City $5) PCGS VF20 - 1872-CC $5 Liberty Head, With Motto, Ex-Eliasberg Collection. Born in 1896, Louis Eliasberg was a businessman from Baltimore, MD who aspired to build a complete collection of United States regular issue coins. Amazingly, by 1950 he had accomplished this monumental task. He remains to this day the only person to ever assemble such a complete collection. Up until his death in 1976, he continued to add the current issues as they were released. The gold coins from his collection, such as this one, were sold at auction in 1982 in one of the most famous sales in all of numismatic history.

The 1872-CC Half Eagle is a very scarce issue in its own right with an estimated surviving population of less than 100 pieces out of a total original mintage of 16,980. Like other Carson City coins, it is exceedingly popular with collectors due to the romance and history of the Old West that is connected with the legendary Nevada branch mint.

It is easy to see why a connoisseur such as Louis Eliasberg would select this exact coin to be included in his famed collection. Heavily circulated, as are most examples of this issue, the wear is even and the surfaces are original and unblemished. The amber toned gold coloring is spot on to what one would desire from a nice wholesome Carson City gold half eagle giving the coin superb eye appeal. Overall this is a splendid and historic gold piece that comes with a historic numismatic pedigree and will most certainly be a focal point in any elite collection.