1861-O Half Dollar Minted at the New Orleans Mint

Reverse of the 1861 Confederate Designed Half Dollar

The 1861-O Half Dollar was minted under three different governments in the same year. The New Orleans Mint began the year 1861 by producing 330,000 halves as a branch mint of the United States. On January 26th, 1861, the State of Louisiana seceded from the Union and the Mint, along with nearly $5,000,000.00 in silver and gold, was seized by Lousiana militia on Jan. 31, 1861. The Mint personnel were forced to strike silver half dollars and $20 gold coins using the existing U.S. coinage dies that were on hand. During the State of Louisiana's brief control of the Mint, another 1,240,000 half dollars were struck for their government. Louisiana turned over the Mint to the Confederate central government on Feb. 28, 1861. An additional 962,633 half dollars were minted under CSA control. The coin dies that were used by the 3 different governments were never altered and the combined total of 2,532,633 half dollars are indistinguishable from one another. In April 1861, Confederate Secretary of the Treasury, Christopher Memminger, issued orders that new designs for half-dollars should be submitted to him for approval. Among several sent, the one approved bore on the obverse of the coin a representation of the Goddess of Liberty, surrounded by thirteen stars, denoting the thirteen States from whence the Confederacy sprung, and on the lower rim the figures, 1861. On the reverse there is a shield with seven stars, representing the seceding States; above the shield is a liberty-cap, and entwined around it stalks of sugar cane and cotton, "Confederate State of America." The dies were engraved by A. H. M. Peterson. They were prepared for the coining press by Conrad Schmidt, foreman of the coining room, from which four pieces only were struck. The Mint was closed on April 30, 1861 by Sec. Memminger due to the difficulty of obtaining bullion. Of the 4 pieces minted, one was sent to the Confederate Government, presumably to President Jefferson Davis, one presented to Prof. Biddle, of the University of Louisiana, one sent to Dr. E. Ames of New Orleans, and one was kept by B.F. Taylor, Chief Coiner of the Confederate States Mint. The New Orleans Mint remained closed until coining began again in 1879.