The 1874-CC has the second highest mintage figure of any Double Eagle struck at the Carson City Mint. It is an occasionally difficult coin to find in lower grades but is scarce in higher grades.

The quality of strike seen on 1874-CC Double Eagles is comparable to the 1872 CC and 1873-CC Double Eagles. Liberty’s hair is often flat, especially below the coronet and the ear. The stars are often blunt and show only a few radial lines. The reverse generally shows a better overall impression although many pieces are weak on the shield and along the outlines of the wings. Many coins show what appears to be serious weakness on the arrowheads. This is, in fact, a lapped die caused by a Mint employee overzealously polishing the reverse die in an attempt to remove a defect of some sort. The lapped die does not affect the value of a coin. 

Collecting the 1874-CC Double Eagle: Condition and Premiums

The surfaces on most 1874-CC Double Eagles are heavily abraded and are common on nearly any Carson City Double Eagle regardless of date. The luster is most often semi Prooflike with a satiny texture in the outlying portions of the fields. The coloration on original, uncleaned coins is bright yellow-gold or deeper green-gold. It is very hard to find an example of this date with good eye appeal. Any piece which is clean, lustrous and shows no signs of having been cleaned is considered very desirable. Such coins always trade for substantial premiums among collectors.