They commenced striking their own half dollars with their own obverse and used the obverse of the then current u. There were something like 4 pieces made of the real deal at the new orleans mint during the war. I use a registry of liberty seated half dollar varieties new orleans mint vol 2 by bill bugert book to assist. In march 1861, louisiana accepted the confederate states constitution and the confederate government retained all the mint officers. The surfaces are a nice looking steel grey but light hairlines confirm that this coin was indeed cleaned as attributed. This coin shares an obverse with the four known confederate half dollars. The 1861 o half dollar is perhaps one of the most interesting issues in all of u. Also presented is an analysis of the 1839 o half dollars that have been called proofs that is also an integral part of the 1838 o half dollars.
The series of short marks under the eagles wing is postmint as far as i can tell. Confederate minted 1861o seated half dollar, speared. This coin was ascribed to the dupont collection sold by stacks in october 1954 where it was also attributed as a proof. All theories are presented with an analysis of each. Lscc egobrecht archives search indexes liberty seated half. I mainly collect virginia and north carolina obsolete currency. Where can you find information on the gsa struck 1861 o half. Picked up this very nice 1861o half dollar in pcgs xf45 recently. I would have it apraised at a couple of coin collectors but dont sell it until you have checked at least two coin collectors and completed bids on ebay so you have a good idea.
The series of short marks under the eagles wing is postmint as far as i. It is said that all production of these stopped as of april 1st, 1861. The confederates struck 962,633 of the 2,532,633 new orleans halfdollar coins dated 1861. A further 1,184,912 half dollars were struck by the state between jan 31st and april. Scott bought 500 1861 united states half dollars from a new york bank that were supposedly struck at the new orleans mint. Weight 189 grains, composition 93% silver, 6% copper, 1% trace elements. Confederate minted 1861o seated half dollar, speared olive. Due to silver prices rising, the coinage for the confederacy failed, due to lack of silver for planchets, so they. Liberty seated half dollar us rare coin investments.
Originally the tennessee, the union ship was captured by the confederates and later sold to private interests after the war. They used it briefly as their own coinage facility. This pairing is considered to be common by liberty seated half dollar experts randy wiley and bill bugert. This unique 1861 o proof is actually rarer than the famous 1861 original csa half dollar, of which four are confirmed. All 1861 half dollars are rare and an 1861o half dollar is much more rare. The 1861o quantity includes 330,000 struck under the united states government, 1,240,000 for the state of louisiana after it seceded from the union, and. One example is the 1838o half dollar that was struck early in 1839 to test a new press that arrived in. Also presented is an analysis of the 1839o half dollars that have been called proofs that is also an integral part of the 1838o half dollars.
Description historic sp64 1861o seated half dollar ex. Id grade this in agg so dont know if enough sufficient detail for a diagnostic has worn away but id appreciate any feedback. We can infer that tyler would have used lower striking pressure on his jury rigged system in an attempt to reduce the risk of failure. Jan 26, 2012 1945 walking liberty half dollar with a confederate flag on it. The 2008 guide book has this to say concerning the recorded mintage of 2,532,633 1861o seated liberty half dollars.
Some 330,000 half dollars were struck but only about 54,000 of them were dated 1861. Confederate seated liberty half dollar 1861 coins of our. Serious collectors of the liberty seated half dollar series should take note of this lovely. Lscc egobrecht archives search indexes liberty seated.
I found this 1861 half dollar in my dads collection. Now the 1861o 12 dollar was minted by the federal government first, then the state of louisiana and finally the csa. Dec 11, 2018 picked up this very nice 1861 o half dollar in pcgs xf45 recently. August 2012 interesting engraved 1840o half dollar bill bugert. Bright and lustrous surfaces reveal crisply struck central devices. Liberty seated half dollar articles by coinage date. Liberty seated half price list gerry fortin rare coins. There are several varieties of regular issue halves from this date and i cant tell if yours has the bisected date andor speared olive bud.
Where can i get info on 1861o half dollar varieties. Cuba peso 1932 and 1953 1853 half cent ngc vf35 c1 for sale. Heres a little more about the article on 1861o halves. On jan 31st the new orleans mint was taken over by the state of louisiana. How do i tell if my 1861o half dollar coin is rare. The 1861o half dollar is perhaps one of the most interesting issues in all of u. January 2005 1861o proof half dollar on display at the new orleans mint. Better date next 1934d peace dollar, underrated date, unusual toned specimen. This unique 1861o proof is actually rarer than the famous 1861 original csa half dollar, of which four are confirmed. These restrikes of the 1861 confederate half dollar are easy to tell from the original as the obverses are distorted and flattened by the action of. A lovely specimen of one of americas favorite coins, j.
This page also shows coins listed for sale so you can buy and sell. I would like to know if this 1861 o half dollar can be attributed to federal, louisiana or confederate production. Aug 22, 2009 all 1861 half dollars are rare and an 1861 o half dollar is much more rare. Now i go to the reverse and try to match the mint mark placement. The new orleans mint in louisiana was the only southern mint to survive the civil war. Likely unique 1891o proof dime, the only certified proof unlisted variety. Struck at the new orleans mint at the outset of the civil war, this date was actually issued by 3 different governments throughout the course of the year. The seated liberty obverse of the coins were flattened some because of the onesided strike. Jun 18, 2011 heres a little more about the article on 1861 o halves. Republic confederate states of america issue seated liberty half dollar rare confederate states of america issue silver coin struck for just one month. I would like to know if this 1861o half dollar can be attributed to federal, louisiana or confederate production. And, as the pr30 csa half evidences, collectors often just want an example of a particular issue, without great concern about the grade. Jan 29, 2015 i mainly collect virginia and north carolina obsolete currency.