1861 (1879) Scott Confederate Half Dollar Token. Breen-8003. White Metal. MS-65 DPL (NGC). This is an exceptionally attractive example for both the type and the assigned grade. Both sides are deeply prooflike in finish, the fields intensely mirrored and contrasting sharply with satin to softly frosted design elements. Untoned throughout, the appearance is one of bright silver-white. Smartly impressed with sharp to full detail. Struck by J.W. Scott after acquiring the dies and before using it to "restrike" 500 1861-dated Liberty Seated half dollars into Confederate half dollars. Scott, worried that the die might fail in the process of striking the harder silver of the half dollars, produced these soft white metal tokens to have a marketable product to show for his efforts in the event of premature die failure. Fortunately for numismatics his worries were unfounded, as the die survived through 500 white metal strikes for the tokens, which he offered for 50 cents apiece in 1879, as well as through 500 "restrikes" on silver Federal half dollars. From the Lucius S. Ruder Collection.
