Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-08-07
Coins With a History.

CONFEDERATE PENNIES THAT ARE WORTH
BIG MoNEY-THE DIES WERE MADE IN
PHILADELPHIA IN 1861, AND ONLY EIGH-
TY-sIx WE'RE EVER sTRUCK-A HALF
DOLLAR THAT is WORTH $50.
The Philadelphia Record prints the fol-
lowing interesting article relative to the
Confederate coinage Of 1861:
"The commission which has Just COM
pleted the counting Of Superintendent
Bosbyshell's millions in this city in ex-
aiming the curious coins in the mint
museum came across 1-cent piece with
a rare history. It is coin struck from
the only complete dies made for the coin
| ing of money for the late Confederate
government, and these dies were made in
Philadelphia in 1861.
Investigation dlscloses the fact that
the only part of these dies Is in the
possession of J. Calvin Randall, the coin
collector of this city. There were only
eighty six pieces struck from the dies, after
which they were defaced. The story OF
this coin is quite interesting The dies
were made by Mr.. Loyett in Philadei
phia, who says that they were ordered IN
1861 from the South, and were 10 he LOT
one-cent copper coins.
after manufacturing the dies he was
not able to get them out of the city, ana,
becoming alarmed, hid them away after
striking off twelve nickel pieces. No one
except himself knew of the existence OF
either dies or COINS until 1915, when MI
Randall and John W. Haseltlne discover
ed their existence by accident.
"Mr. Lovett has been carrying one OF
the pieces as pocket piece, and one even
ing, by an oversight, passed il in a restau-
rant. The proprietor, knowing Mr.. Has
eltine as a collector, sent the piece to
him. The latter, recognizing the head OF
liberty as Mr.. Lovett's work, succeeded
Jointly with Mr.. Randall in negotiating
the purchase of the dies. The two gen
tlemen then agreed to strike off fifty
FIVE pieces in copper, twelve IN SILVER ana
seven in gold. This accomplished, they
mutilated the dies and held the struck
coins for sale to collectors. The follow
ing is description of the coin:
"Obverse, 1861 head OF Liberty; IN
scription: "Confederate States of Ameri-
ca y reverse. wreath of ears of corn and
wheat, with a cotton bale at the bottom ;
in the centre the words 81 cent. he
restrikes were struck by Peter l.. Krlder,
No. 618 Chestnut"
'This was the only coinage ever con
templated by direct authority of the Con-
federate government, and the original
nickel pennies and the restruck pieces are
now very valuable. In 1871, when
Messrs Randall and Haseltlne offered
them for sale to collectors, they asked $50
each for the gold, $l5 for the silver, 81 for
the copper and 500 for the nickel coins
they having bought from LOvett what he
had left of the last struck in 1851 The
CONS are now very rare and are worth
great deal more than the prices asked IN
1874.
"rhe only other coin issued in the Soulh
during the war was half dollar. THIS
was coined at the United States mint at
New Orleans in 1861, and for its diverse
the United States die for the half dollar
was used, being a seated figure OF Liberty
that still appears on OIL: coins. For the
reverse die was cut, whose design con-
sisted of a shield surmOunted by liberty
cap and surrounded by a cotton and sugar
cane wreath. The legend was "CoNFED-
ERATH STATES OF AMERICA HALF Dol"
A number of these were alterwaTd re-
struck and the die destroyed. Single
pieces have been sold for SO.