What you probably didn’t know about 1861-O Half Dollars Bill Bugert

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Where was this coin minted? - The New Orleans Branch Mint! Images courtesy of Stack’s Confederate Half Dollar

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Outline 1861-Os: Fact or Fiction Circa 1861 History in South 3 Minting Authorities Timeline Randy Wiley’s 1861-O study 1861-O Die Marriages ― Union ― State of Louisiana ― Confederate States of America Restrikes and Tokens Fantasy Strikes Wrap up Page 3

Liberty Seated Collectors Club 1861-O Half Dollars are one of the most popular and collected Liberty Seated Half Dollar dates – Fact No one can distinguish U.S., LA, or CSA 1861-O half dollars – Fiction The Confederate half dollar reverse die was too large for the steam press so the halves were struck with a screw press – Fact CSA ran out of silver so they couldn’t mint any more Confederate half dollars – Fiction CSA struck 1861-O half dollars are rare – Fiction Most U.S O half dollars were stolen – that’s why they are so rare – Maybe! Fact or Fiction

Liberty Seated Collectors Club The South in 1861 New Orleans was the largest city in the South – Population over 168,000 – Commercial heart of the Deep South (main exports were cotton, sugar, and tobacco) 7 U.S. slave states seceded after the November 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln State of LA seceded on January 22, 1861 – 2 federal buildings: Branch Mint and Customs House

Liberty Seated Collectors Club 1907 postcard 2013 New Orleans Branch Mint – Then and now…

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Who controlled the New Orleans Branch Mint? New Orleans timeline, early /22 LA secedes 2/4 CSA formed 3/11 CSA Constitution 4/30 New Orleans Mint closed 1/31 LA seizes N.O. Mint 2/28 CSA controls N.O. Mint 4/12 Fort Sumter assault 4/28/62 New Orleans city captured Union State of LA CSA 30 days 29 days 62 days

Liberty Seated Collectors Club 3 Minting Authorities 1861-O half dollars are the only U.S. silver coins minted with the same date/design by 3 different governments. – United States of America (Union) – State of Louisiana (LA) – Confederate States of America (CSA)

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Award winning recognized expert on Liberty Seated Half Dollars and 1861-O half dollars Two articles published his findings – Gobrecht Journal Issue 94, November 2005 – Gobrecht Journal Issue 97, November 2006 Lengthy analysis – Studied three large hoards of 1861-Os – Linked all dies (next page) – Suggested an average die life – Exploited known minting authority mintages and applied them to the linked dies Exponentially increased interest in this date Randy Wiley’s 1861-O Study

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Recent research slightly adjusts LA and CSA mintages

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Union Issues Minted in January 1861 By far, the rarest of the 1861-Os 2 die marriages (W-01, W-02) with same obverse die Warning: 1861-O half dollars are some of the most difficult die marriages to distinguish. Use all die diagnostics to differentiate them.

Liberty Seated Collectors Club 6 die marriages (4 obverse/3 reverse dies) None rare None especially interesting Distinguishable by die cracks, die lines, tiny lumps, and clashes State of Louisiana Issues

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Most popular of the 3 minting authorities 7 die marriages (4 obverse/4 reverse dies including genuine CSA half dollar) Most popular easily identifiable die marriages WB-102 WB-103 WB-104 Confederate (CSA) Issues

Liberty Seated Collectors Club 4 Known – Struck in April 1861 – Distributed as follows: Confederate Government (CSA Sec of Treasury to CSA President Jefferson Davis) –Sold Stack’s Ford Collection 10/2003 ($632,500) –Sold FUN 1/2015 Heritage sale (881,250) Professor Riddell (Biddle), University of LA –Henry P. Kendall Collection, Stacks 3/2015 ($646,250) Dr. E. Ames, New Orleans Physician –Found in circulation ~ 1912 –Owned by Eric P. Newman since circa 1940 Dr. B.F. Taylor, Chief Coiner, NO Branch Mint –Also owned the reverse die –Presented to the ANS in 1918 Genuine Confederate Half Dollars

Liberty Seated Collectors Club What happened to the die? Dr. B.F. Taylor owned it and sold it to NYC dealer J.W. Scott in 1879 Scott used it for restrikes/tokens; defaced it, then MIA. – J. Sanford Saltus (1918) to Louisiana Historical Society? Status of CSA Die

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Made in 1879 by dealers J.W. Scott and David Proskey From the purchased Confederate reverse die O halves with reverse planed (lathed) off – Flattened obverse – A few reverses were not planed off and overstruck Underlying features faintly visible Extremely rare Confederate Restrikes

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Flattened Obverse

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Less than 6 known restrikes with CSA die crack Identifying Genuine vs. Restrike CSA Half dollars

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Made in 1879 by NYC dealers Scott/Proskey Using purchased Confederate reverse die Special obverse die 500 white metal planchets (made for contingency) Scott-Proskey Tokens

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Very common Easily located Quality varies Inexpensive Highly collectible CSA Half Dollar Tokens and Fantasy Medals

Liberty Seated Collectors Club Liberty Seated Half Dollar References

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