1870-CC DOUBLE EAGLE DIE VARIETY 1-A EXPLAINED

This posting is in response to several questions about the 1-A Die variety on 1870-CC $20 gold pieces.

There are two known die varieties for this date, the 1-A and 2-B. The purpose of these designations is to point out distinctive characteristics displayed on each variety.

The Die 1-A variety features a large date with bold details. As seen in the arrow in the image to the left, the "1" in "1870" is near Liberty's neck. The arrow to the right shows the location of the small mintmark in relation to the bottom of the eagle's tailfeathers and the letters NT in TWENTY.

The location of the date and mintmark on the Die 2-B variety is noticeably different.

It's unknown which die variety the Carson Mint first used, although my guess is the 1-A.