The
Civil War Coins were minted and used in commerce during the
years of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Just think of
the history these coins have seen.
The first year of the Civil
War began in 1861 with optimism on both sides. The popular
sentiment in the North was that Johnny Reb would run at the
first sight of the Union Army. On the other hand, the Southern
troops knew that they were good soldiers having come from
a mostly agrarian game hunting culture. When President Buchanan,
who preceded Lincoln as president, refused to surrender federal
forts to seceding states, Southern state troops seized them.
At Fort Sumter in South Carolina state troops repulsed a federal
supply ship that was trying to reach its forces base at the
fort. The ship returned to New York with the supplies undelivered.
In April 1861 shots were fired on the fort and the Civil War
began.
Fort Sumter eventually surrendered
to South Carolina. The first major land battle of the War
came in July 1861. Known as the First Battle of Bull Run,
Northern General-in-Chief Winfield Scott attacked before his
men were adequately trained. He ordered General McDowell to
advance on Confederate troops at Manassas Junction, Virginia.
Although initially successful, McDowell was defeated when
CSA reinforcements arrived. Lincoln replaced McDowell with
General George B. McClellan and attempted to blockade the
coast of the Confederacy.
While the turmoil of civil
war affected coinage especially in the Southern mints, they
continued to be issued in almost all denominations.
How
to start a Civil War Coins Collection?
Call toll free 1-800-624-1870 or Email
us for more information on recommended sets of Rare Coins,
Civil War Coins.
A
Check List of Civil War Coins (1861-1865)
Cents
- 14 Cents
1861
1861 Proof
1862
1862 Proof
1863
1863 Proof
1864 (Copper-Nickel)
1864 Proof (Copper-Nickel)
1864 (Bronze) No L
1864 Proof (Bronze) No L
1864 (Bronze) With L
1864 Proof (Bronze) With L
1865
1865 Proof
Two-cent
pieces - 5 two-cents
1864
Small Motto
1864 Large Motto
1864 Proof
1865
1865 Proof
Three-cent
silver (Trimes) - 12 three-cents
1861
1861 Proof
1862, 2 over 1
1862
1862 Proof
1863, 3 over 2
1863
1863 Proof
1864
1864 Proof
1865
1865 Proof
Three-cent
Nickel Pieces
1865
1865 Proof 2 three-cent nickels
Half
Dimes - 14 Half-Dimes
1861
1861 Proof
1861, 1 over 0
1862
1862 Proof
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Dimes
- 15 Dimes
1861
1861 Proof
1861-S
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Quarters
- 15 Quarters
1861
1861 Proof
1861-S
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Half
Dollars - 17 Half Dollars
1861
1861 Proof
1861-O
1861-O (Cracked obverse; same
obverse used to coin pattern Confederate half
dollars-see below)
1861-S
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Gold
Dollars - 11 Gold Dollars
1861
1861 Proof
1861-D
1862
1862 Proof
1863
1863 Proof
1864
1864 Proof
1865
1865 Proof
Quarter
Eagle - 15 Quarter Eagles
1861,
Old Reverse
1861, New Reverse
1861 Proof
1861-S
1862, 2 over 1
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863 Proof only
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Three-dollar
gold pieces - 10 Three Dollar Gold
1861
1861 Proof
1862
1862 Proof
1863
1863 Proof
1864
1864 Proof
1865
1865 Proof
Half
Eagles - 17 Half Eagles
1861
1861 Proof
1861-C
1861-D
1861-S
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Eagles
- 16 Eagles
1861
1861 Proof
1861-S
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
1865-S, 865/inverted 186
Double
Eagles - 18 Double Eagles
1861
1861 Proof
1861-O
1861-S
1861, Paquet Reverse (Tall Letters)
1861-S, Paquet Reverse (Tall
Letters)
1862
1862 Proof
1862-S
1863
1863 Proof
1863-S
1864
1864 Proof
1864-S
1865
1865 Proof
1865-S
Pattern
Coins
(Note: 180 different pattern
coins were made during the Civil War years.
Any would make a nice addition to the list.)
Civil
War Tokens
(Note: There are two types—tradesmen’s
tokens and patriotic or political. Approximately
10,000 different types of Civil War tokens are
known.)
Confederate
coins - 10 Confederate Coins
1861
Cent, original (Copper-nickel)
1861 Cent, restrike (Copper-nickel)
1861 Cent, restrike (Gold) Proof
1861 Cent, restrike (Silver)
Proof
1861 Half Dollar (4 known)
1861 Half Dollar, restrike
1861 Scott-Token Obverse, Confederate
Reverse
1861 Confederate half dime,
Flag, 13 stars, A UNITED SOUTH
1861 Jefferson Davis Dime, OUR
FIRST PRESIDENT
1861 Beauregard Dime, MANASSAS
Coins
recovered from the S.S. Republic
Related
commemorative issues - 14 Commemoratives
1922
Grant Memorial half dollar, star in field
1922 Grant Memorial half dollar,
no star in field
1922 Grant Memorial gold dollar,
with star
1922 Grant Memorial gold dollar,
no star
1925 Stone Mountain Memorial
half dollar
1936 Battle of Gettysburg half
dollar
1937 Battle of Antietam half
dollar
1995-S Civil War Battlefield
half dollar
1995-S Civil War Battlefield
half dollar Proof
1995-P Civil War Battlefield
silver dollar
1995-S Civil War Battlefield
silver dollar Proof
1995-W Civil War Battlefield
half eagle
1995-W Civil War Battlefield
half eagle Proof
2009-P Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
Grand
total 220 (does not include patterns, tokens or
coins from S.S. Republic.)
