1861 (1879) Confederate Half Dollar. Scott Restrike. Breen-8002. AU-58 (PCGS). An overall bold example with considerable mint luster surrounding the devices. Pale slate-grey in color with a faint golden iridescence accenting both sides. The reverse offers considerable contrast between the reflective fields and more satiny devices of the Confederate States die. Seized by Louisiana when that state seceded from the Union in 1861, the New Orleans Mint eventually passed under the control of the Confederate States of America. After that happened, Southern authorities made an attempt at coinage that displayed a design distinct to the new Confederacy. Accordingly, four half dollars were struck combining the familiar Liberty Seated motif of Union coinage with a new reverse design that includes, among other elements, the legend CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. All four of these coins, as well as the reverse die, were retained by Chief Coiner of the New Orleans Mint Dr. B.F. Taylor. The die was eventually obtained by E.B. Mason, Jr. of Philadelphia in 1879 and sold to John Walter Scott. Scott and his partner decided to profit from their ownership of the original CSA reverse die by striking and selling a small number of restrikes of the very rare 1861 Confederate half dollar.In order to test the die and determine its suitability for coinage, Scott at first struck 500 tokens using a new obverse die the inscriptions of which provide some information about the original 1861 CSA halves. He then proceeded to prepare the actual restrikes. To do so Scott obtained 500 original 1861-O Liberty Seated half dollars, "drilled off" their reverses and restruck that side using the Confederate reverse die. This process caused more-or-less loss of detail to the obverse design although, as stated above, the present example is uncommonly well defined on that side.As the popularity of the original 1861 Confederate States of America half dollar has increased as numismatists have come to understand its history and rarity, so too has the desirability of the Scott restrikes increased. Survivors of this 500-piece delivery now represent the only readily obtainable examples of the 1861 CSA half dollar design, and they command a premium in todays market commensurate with their importance as collectibles.
