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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;cwtokenman, post: 143163, member: 2100&quot;]Adian, apologies for not responding to your question sooner, but this is the first I have had time to return to the forum since that posting. Here is a bit of additional info, concerning the 2 types of Confederate Half Dollars.</p><p><br /></p><p>As a U.S. branch Mint, New Orleans produced 330,000 half dollars. </p><p><br /></p><p>Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861. The Louisiana militia seized the Mint facility (along with almost $5 million in gold and silver) on Jan. 31, 1861.</p><p><br /></p><p>The Mint personnel were forced to strike silver half dollars and $20 gold coins using the existing U.S. coinage dies that were on hand. During the State of Louisiana&#039;s brief control of the Mint, another 1,240,000 half dollars were struck for the Louisiana government. </p><p><br /></p><p>Louisiana turned over the Mint to the Confederate central government on Feb. 28, 1861. An additional 962,633 half dollars were minted under CSA control. The coin dies that were used by the 3 different governments were never altered and the combined total of 2,532,633 half dollars are indistinguishable from one another.</p><p><br /></p><p>The second type of Confederate half dollar is distinguishable.</p><p><br /></p><p>In April 1861, Confederate Secretary of the Treasury, Christopher Memminger, issued orders that new designs for half-dollars should be submitted to him for approval. Among several sent, the one approved bore on the obverse of the coin a representation of the Goddess of Liberty, surrounded by thirteen stars, denoting the thirteen States from whence the Confederacy sprung, and on the lower rim the figures, 1861. On the reverse there is a shield with seven stars, representing the seceding States; above the shield is a liberty-cap, and entwined around it stalks of sugar cane and cotton, &quot;Confederate State of America.&quot; The dies were engraved by A. H. M. Peterson. They were prepared for the coining press by Conrad Schmidt, foreman of the coining room, from which four pieces only were struck. The Mint was closed on April 30, 1861 by Sec. Memminger due to the difficulty of obtaining bullion. Of the 4 pieces minted, one was sent to the Confederate Government, presumably to President Jefferson Davis, one presented to Prof. Biddle, of the University of Louisiana, one sent to Dr. E. Ames of New Orleans, and one was kept by B.F. Taylor, Chief Coiner of the Confederate States Mint. The New Orleans Mint remained closed until coining began again in 1879.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is this second type that is widely imitated, and repros appear on ebay with relative great frequency.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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