The Four Minted Silver Coins of the Confederacy (Yes, Four)
In January 1861, the Federal Government produced approximately 330,000 90% silver and 10% copper half dollars at the New Orleans mint in Louisiana. On January 26th, 1861, Louisiana seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. The New Orleans Mint, along with the 330,000 silver half dollars, became the mint of the Confederacy. The Confederates continued to mint the U.S. silver half dollars, displaying the power of silver as money as even if at war with your enemy your own soldiers and supplies will still take silver no matter whose name is printed on it — even the enemy’s. While the Confederacy is generally well known for its paper currency that as the war’s outcome became clear fell in values dramatically, the New Orleans mint under Confederate control actually did mint its own Confederate silver, all four of them.
The Confederate state had a goal of producing its own unique silver currency and the decision was made to mint half dollars. Miss Liberty was determined to be a Southern Belle and not a Yankee so they decided to keep her image on the half dollar. This kept them from the difficult task at the time of creating a new dye for at least one side of their Confederate half dollar. Four coins were minted and given to four different people as the plan was for the four to determine if the production should continue with that design. New Orleans fell in 1862, the Confederate control of the Mint was lost, and the Confederate silver coin production plans were officially over. The story of the four Confederate silver coins did not end there, though. In fact their own stories took on a life of their own. The coins disappeared from public view and knowledge for quite some time but then reappeared individually on their own thereafter.
The first Confederate half dollar resurfaced in 1879 when Mr. B. F. Taylor, the chief coiner of the New Orleans Mint in 1861, sold it along with the die for the reverse Confederate side of the coin. The first coin is now held at the American Numismatic Association’s collection. The second coin had been given to Dr. E. Adams of New Orleans and did not appear until 1910. A collector found the second coin in a wrapped roll of half dollars he received from a bank. The second Confederate half dollar is now the property of the Newman Numismatic Education Society.
The third was given to the mint superintendent, William Elmore, who sent it to Secretary of the Treasury Christopher Memminger. Mr. Memminger gave the third silver Confederate coin to President Jefferson Davis. The coin was captured along with the luggage of the wife of Jefferson Davis when he left Richmond on April 2nd, 1865. The coin was stolen during a boat trip to Fort Monroe when the luggage of the couple was searched. It reappeared in 1938 at an auction but was thought to be a copy. It’s authenticity was later confirmed to an elated purchaser. The last Confederate half dollar appeared in 1971 after it had been bought and sold by several different owners which started with New Orleans Postmaster John Riddell.
The Davis coin (third) sold for $881,250 and the Riddell coin (fourth) was sold for $646,250. So if anyone ever arrogantly tells you that the Confederacy never produced any silver coins, you can confidently say “No, sir/madam, you are wrong! They produced precisely four.”
Bullion TP
https://www.bulliontradingpostlp.com/
Join: https://www.bulliontp.com/en/login
reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bullion_TP/
GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/bulliontp
Gab: https://gab.com/BullionTP
CloutHub: https://clthb.co/9APChFY3ewfSgwie9
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/bulliontp
Telegram: https://t.me/bulliontp
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/79661674
