1861-D Liberty Head Half Eagle. Winter 39-FF, the only known dies. EF-45 (PCGS). CAC. One of the great rarities in the Dahlonega Mint half eagle series with a tiny mintage of 1,597 pieces under Federal authority. This is an attractive Choice EF survivor for an issue that enjoys extremely strong numismatic demand at all levels of preservation. Handsome honey-olive color blankets surfaces that retain blushes of the frosty to slightly granular luster for which the date is known. A bit lightly struck, especially toward the upper obverse and lower reverse borders, we nonetheless note appreciable boldness to the major design elements for a circulated survivor of this challenging issue. Wispy handling marks are evident, although none are worthy of singular attention.<p>The history of this fascinating issue begins on December 19, 1860, when the Philadelphia Mint shipped two 1861-dated obverse dies to the Dahlonega facility. Received on January 7, 1861, one of these dies was paired with the leftover Medium D reverse of the 1860-D issue to strike 1,597 coins sometime before April 8. This is the official mintage for the 1861-D, as recorded in Federal archives. After rebel forces seized the Dahlonega Mint on April 8, enough bullion remained on hand for an additional mintage of 1861-D half eagles. The quantity struck under Southern authority was not recorded, although Doug Winter (2003) estimates it at only 1,000 to 2,000 coins. With bullion in extremely short supply in the wartime South, no further half eagles were forthcoming from the Dahlonega Mint.<p>Although it is impossible to distinguish between the Federal and Southern strikings of this issue, all 1861-D half eagles are prized for their association with the tumultuous days leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War. Survivors are rare and number no more than 100 coins or so. This is our first offering for the issue in nearly a decade, and as a highlight of the Hendricks Set, this 1861-D is sure to see spirited bidding among advanced Southern gold enthusiasts.<p>The 2003 Winter reference on Dahlonega Mint gold coinage states that the only known die pairing for this issue uses Reverse EE. That is a Large D reverse, however, and with a Medium D mintmark the correct attribution for this issue was almost certainly meant to be Winter 39-FF. From the Fairmont Collection-Hendricks Set.
