1861-O
Half Dollar - 1861 Gold Dollar - 1861 Quarter Eagle - 1861
Three Dollar Gold - 1861 Half Eagle - 1861 Eagle - 1861 Double
Eagle
The first year of the Civil War began 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 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. 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 war affected coinage
especially in the Southern mints, they continued to be issued
in almost all denominations. This 1861 set is comprised
of a half dollar from the New Orleans Mint and the ill-fated
SS Republic and gold coins from Philadelphia including a
gold dollar, a quarter eagle, a three dollar gold piece,
a half eagle, an eagle, and a double eagle, which is also
from SS Republic.
1861
Half Dollar - The Liberty
Seated half dollar was designed by Christian Gobrecht.
The obverse depicts Liberty seated looking over her
shoulder to the left. She balances the Union Shield
inscribed LIBERTY with her right hand and holds a
staff on which is placed a Phrygian cap in her left.
There are seven stars to the left and six to the right
interrupted by her head and the capped pole. The date
is below. The reverse shows the heraldic eagle looking
left. It is surrounded by the required inscription
and the denomination written as HALF DOL. below. The
mintmark is on the reverse between the eagle and the
denomination. Dentils are around the periphery of
both sides of the coin.
At the beginning of the Civil War,
the New Orleans Mint was taken over by the Confederacy,
which continued to strike half dollars using Federal
dies. The pictured coin was found aboard the SS Republic
that sank in 1865. A large part of its cargo consisted
of gold and silver coins, which were needed for the
reconstruction of the South, and this coin was one
of them.
The story of the S.S. Republic has
been well-written since the wreck was discovered,
and the coins that have been brought to the market
have remained very desirable objects from the famous
ship. The coin is accompanied by a special hardwood
box and certificate indicating its provenance. It
grades About Uncirculated + details, and has better
eye-appeal than usually seen for this issue. It has
been carefully preserved by NGC before being placed
in the special holder, and nearly full detail remains
on both sides.
1861 Gold Dollar - The
Indian Princess gold dollar was designed by James B.
Longacre and minted from 1854 to 1889. The first, which
is actually a Type 2 because there was a prior Liberty
Head gold dollar, was issued until 1856. The second
Indian Princess gold dollar, Type 3, was minted from
1856 to 1889.
The Type 2 gold dollar
shows a head of Liberty facing left wearing a stylized
feathered headdress. It is inscribed LIBERTY on the
headband. She is surrounded by the legend UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA. The reverse shows an open wreath of corn,
cotton, maple, and tobacco tied below with a bow. The
wreath encircles the denomination, 1 DOLLAR, and the
date. The problem with the coin was that it did not
strike up well. In fact mint state examples looked worn
and, in some cases, so circulated that the date could
not be read on the coin. This problem most affected
the branch mint issues, which Longacre did not get to
see until afterwards.
The proofs that he saw
did not have this as a problem. To remedy this situation,
Longacre designed the Type 3 gold dollar of which the
pictured coin is an example. While the design was similar
to the previous issue, Longacre lowered the relief and
moved the obverse head so as not to be opposite a reverse
relief area. This coin is called the Large Size or Large
Head.
Certified by PCGS in
one of the old green holders and stickered by CAC for
exceptional quality, this is an eye-appealing coin that
is not easily found in the current market. This piece
is a survivor of an original mintage of 527,150 pieces,
of which many were melted after the Civil War. The devices
are sharply impressed with no major marks except for
those consistent with the grade. Both sides are lightly
toned to a nice yellow/light-brown color which assures
the coin’s originality.
1861
Quarter Eagle - Designed
by Christian Gobrecht, the 1861 quarter eagle is known
as the Liberty Head type. It was minted from 1840
to 1907, the longest span of any coinage series without
major design modification. It shows a profile of Liberty
facing left. Her hair is tied in the back with beads
as two curls flow down her neck. On the coronet the
word LIBERTY is inscribed. She is surrounded by thirteen
six-pointed stars and the date, which is below the
truncation. At the periphery are dentils on both sides
of the coin.
The reverse shows a heraldic eagle
with wings outstretched looking to the left. In its
talons it holds the olive branch and arrows, symbols
of peace and preparedness. The inscription UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc around the eagle, interrupted
by the wing tips. The denomination written as 2 ½
D. is below, separated from the inscription by dots.
The demand for this quarter eagle
date as a type coin and a memento of the Civil War
is constant. Typically well struck, this first Civil
War issue in the series has two types which are differentiated
by old and new reverses. The current piece is a New
Reverse example. A good strike is typical for this
date but this example is absolutely hammered.
Rich golden wheat hues and abundant
luster combine to give this piece the eye appeal of
a significantly higher grade. In addition, CAC has
reviewed and approved it as being premium quality
within its assigned grade. It is a gorgeous and historic
gold piece.
1861
Three Dollar Gold - The
three dollar gold piece was also designed by James
B. Longacre. He used the Indian Princess for his main
device. He had to create a motif for the three dollar
gold coin that would be distinctly different from
the quarter and half eagle coronet designs. The design,
similar to his gold dollar Large Head, shows a head
of Liberty facing left in profile wearing a stylized
headdress. Inscribed on the headband is LIBERTY.
She is surrounded by the words UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA. In using the Indian Princess design,
Longacre felt that he was creating something that
was uniquely American rather than an adoption from
the classics. The reverse of the piece shows an open
wreath of corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco tied at
the bottom with a bow. The denomination 3 appears
at the top center of the wreath, with DOLLARS and
the date below within the wreath. Longacre liked the
wreath design so much that he adopted it for use on
the small cent of 1856.
The three dollar Indian Princess
Head gold piece has long fascinated the collecting
public. The original intent for the three dollar denomination
was to facilitate the purchasing of postage stamps
which were sold in sheets of 100 in the mid 1850’s.
The series was discontinued in 1889 as a result of
an increase in postage rates.
However, this peculiar denomination
has long been popular with collectors, particularly
as a gold type coin. The fine “super slider”
example offered here is crisply struck and sharply
defined. Amber and honey tones provide a lovely cameo
contrast and the fields are fresh and problem free.
CAC has reviewed, confirmed, and affixed its seal
of approval to this piece attesting to its superior
quality. As a better date within the series with fantastic
eye appeal, this coin will serve well as either a
Civil War type piece or to be included in an important
rare gold portfolio.
1861 Half Eagle
- The half eagle was
also designed by Christian Gobrecht. It shows a left
facing profile of Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed
coronet. Her hair is tied in the back and there are
two loose curls that hang down her neck. Around the
head are thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date
is below the truncation. At the periphery of the coin
are dentils. The coin also has a reeded edge.
The reverse shows a heraldic eagle
similar to the one on the Classic Head half eagle
except that the eagle is smaller and its neck is not
bent so aggressively. The inscription UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, except for its wing
tips, in an arc. The denomination is below, separated
with dots, and written as FIVE D.
Offered here is a near-Gem survivor
of this popular Civil War date, which is much scarcer
than the smaller quarter eagle. While usually not
considered to be a rare date, any coin of this issue
graded higher than MS-63 is scarce.
This coin is a premium survivor of
the issue which is not easily replaced. Full luster,
as can be expected for the grade, is seen on both
sides. Because the fields are extremely clean, at
first it appears to be a true gem. A few very minor
bagmarks keep it out of a gem holder, but they are
not prominent. The strike is full, and a light yellow
color is noted. In all, this is a great coin for the
grade.
1861
Eagle - Between 1805,
when President Thomas Jefferson ordered mintage of
gold eagles stopped, and 1837 no gold eagles were
made. Coinage was of this denomination was resumed
with Christian Gobrecht’s Liberty Head eagle.
The size, weight, and fineness were reduced so that
the coins were not intrinsically worth more than their
denominated value.
The Liberty Head eagle shows Liberty
facing left in profile wearing a LIBERTY inscribed
coronet with her hair tied in the back in beads. Two
long curls hang down her neck, one in the back and
the other on the side. She is surrounded with thirteen
six-pointed stars. The date is below the truncation,
which shows no drapery. The motif is taken from a
Benjamin West painting of Venus. It was also used
with modifications for the Large Cents of 1839. The
reverse shows a heraldic eagle with outstretched wing
looking to the left. On its chest is the Union shield.
In its talons it holds the olive branch and arrows.
The error in the previous issue, Scot’s eagle
held the arrows and the olive branches in the wrong
talons, is corrected. Except for being interrupted
by the tips of the eagle’s wings UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA surrounds the reverse, separated from the
denomination TEN D. by dots. Dentils are near the
edge on both sides of the coin, and the edge is reeded.
While most 1861 gold coins minted
in Philadelphia are fairly easily available in uncirculated
condition, the ten dollar gold piece of this year
is an exception to the rule. The majority of the examples
that are known to exist are found in lower grades,
with enough wear visible to limit the grade to AU-55.
Mint State examples, such as the present piece are
truly scarce, and premium quality examples and higher
grades are rare. As such, one should not underestimate
the importance of this issue in Mint State. The coin
has excellent eye-appeal for the grade. The fields
are relatively free of marks, with only a few scattered
abrasions visible under magnification. At first glance,
the creamy and fresh fields, combined with light devices
will distract the eye from the few imperfections this
coin has. It is fully struck with all its devices
brought up to full detail. The fully lustrous surfaces
compliment this coin, which has excellent eye-appeal.
While many coins that are certified at the lower Mint
State levels do not have much eye-appeal, this coin
truly is an exception. It would make for a perfect
addition for a high grade set.
1861 Double
Eagle - James B. Longacre’s
double eagle design lasted from 1849 to 1907 with
only two post-Civil War modifications, the addition
of the motto IN GOD WE TRUST and the change of the
denomination from TWENTY D. to TWENTY DOLLARS. Thus,
as a major design type for more than half a century,
the double eagle was a familiar American design. The
1861 twenty was a Type 1 piece.
Longacre’s design for the double
eagle shows a Liberty head facing left, wearing coronet
inscribed LIBERTY. Her hair is tightly tied in the
back with two loose curls hanging down her neck to
the end of the truncation. She is surrounded by thirteen
six-pointed stars with the date below. Dentils are
near the edge on both sides of the coin. The reverse
shows a heraldic eagle with elaborate ribbons on both
sides of the shield extending from the top corner
down to the eagle’s tail feathers. The ribbons
are inscribed, on the left E PLURIBUS and UNUM on
the right. The ribbons were added to the design to
symbolize the denomination since this was the first
twenty dollar coin. There is an oval of thirteen stars
above the eagle’s head and an arc of rays from
wing tip to wing tip behind the upper half of the
oval. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc above
the eagle, and the denomination TWENTY D. is below.
The pictured coin has as its provenance
the shipwrecked SS Republic. Formerly named the SS
Tennessee, the ship was a side-wheel steamer that
was placed into service in 1853.
During the Civil War she sailed under
both the Confederate and Union flags. At war’s
end, under her new name, she had left New York laden
with cargo and coins desperately needed to aid in
the post-war reconstruction efforts. Bound for New
Orleans, she would become caught in a ferocious hurricane
and on October 25, 1865 she sank to the depths off
the coast of Georgia. 138 years later the SS Republic
was located and by 2005 her fabulous treasure, including
this piece, was recovered much to the delight of numismatists,
investors, and historians around the globe. A wondrous
cache of silver and gold coins were brought to market
and have been exceptionally popular since. Fortunately,
the conditions in the deep ocean water did not damage
the gold coins. This remarkable, flashy double eagle
was recovered in the same condition as when it was
lost just months after the Civil War concluded. The
coin is also fully struck with full details on the
centers of the stars and the design details of the
reverse, especially the eagle. It comes with a CAC
sticker, assuring premium quality and proper grading.
In
total this exceptional set of coins is historic and eye-appealing.
They combine the romance of shipwreck treasure and American
history. Where can you obtain authentic artifacts from
the time of the Civil War that are both certified and
beautiful? You can hold history in your hands with this
set.
Interested in working
with us in purchasing a set like this? CONTACT
US HERE !
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