| In 1879 the only known specimen of the official | | | | presented to Professor John L. Riddell of the |
| metallic coinage of the Confederate States of | | | | University of Louisiana (Tulane). The third coin was |
| America was discovered. This silver coin was one | | | | given to Dr. E. Ames of New Orleans and a fourth |
| of four Confederate Half Dollars known to exist. | | | | was kept by Taylor. |
| Very few American coins today can be said to | | | | E. Mason sold the test coin and Confederate |
| spark as much interest by coin collectors as this | | | | reverse die to J.W. Scott Stamp and Coin Co. of |
| very rare half dollar, with its United States Seated | | | | New York. Scott then obtained 500 1861 United |
| Liberty obverse and unique Confederate States | | | | States half dollars bearing the New Orleans mint |
| reverse design. | | | | letter on its reverse. He then had the reverse |
| The story of its finding in 1879 began with a | | | | design removed from each coin and they were |
| newspaper article written by E. Mason of | | | | restamped with the reverse die of the |
| Philadelphia about coin collecting. A few days later | | | | Confederate Half Dollar. |
| he received news from B.F. Taylor, MD then | | | | Estimated valued of one of the original four 1861 |
| secretary and treasurer of the Louisiana State | | | | Confederate Half Dollars is near one million dollars. |
| Board of Health that he had one 1861 | | | | One of the 500 Scott restrikes in uncirculated |
| Confederate Half Dollar and the original die. Taylor | | | | condition is valued at almost $10,000.00. 1861 U.S. |
| had been chief coiner of the Confederate Mint in | | | | half dollars are valued at less than $100.00 for one |
| New Orleans, LA in 1861. | | | | in a lower grade to $1,000.00 for an uncirculated |
| Taylor reported that a reverse die was engraved | | | | example. 2,887,400 1861-O half dollars were |
| by A.H. Peterson and that four test coins on a | | | | minted by the U.S. and the CSA. The CSA struck |
| hand press were produced in April of 1861. Original | | | | over 2 million of these U.S. 1861 half dollars with |
| United State silver planchets, confiscated by the | | | | seized planchets. On April 30, 1861 the New |
| Louisiana Militia on January 31, 1861, were used. | | | | Orleans mint was closed due to difficulty obtaining |
| One of these coins was given to Jefferson Davis, | | | | bullion. |
| President of the Confederacy. A second coin was | | | | |