New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-20

The history OF this coin and its three counter
parts is interesting. In February. lS6l, The
United States Mint at New-Orleans fell into
Confederate hands. The Confederate Govern
ment, then seated in Montgomery Ala decided
to have some new dies made and to start a
coinage Of it's own at the mint 1t was deter
mined 10 begin the series with the SILVER nan
dollar In April. Mr. Memmnger. the Secretary
Of the Treasury Of the Confederacy. having
issued a call for designs selected the one above
described. The die was made by a. II. Peterson
Of New orleans. and four coins were struck as
specimen pieces. under the direction OF Dr. H.
+. Taylor Chief Coner for the Confederate
States of America" But the Southern Govern
ment then found that. owing to tolai lack oil
silver bullion. it was one thing to make ioui
specimen coins and quite another TO issue th'
money in quantities. The idea was abandoned
and on April 80 1861, the mint closed. only
few DAYS after the sample pieces had been made
The four coins were distributed to persons VINO
would be most likely to take an interest IN theh'
one was sent to the Government. one to Pro-
fessor Rddell of the University OF louisiana
one to DR. T.. Ames. Of NeW-Orleans, ana 'he
fourth together with the die was kept 10y Dr.
TAYLOR. who had charge Of the mint When IL
was struck. This is the coin which Is now III
This city. About the year 1919 Dr. Taylor SOD
the coin and the die to Mir. Scott. The latter IN
turn disposed Of the coin three or -FOUR years
afterward at a public auction in New-l ork' ior
$50 Ten years ago the collection OF Which 1t
formed part was offered for sale Mt scout
boucht The. rare old piece back. and mas OWheu
it ever since.
One of the other coins-probably that when
was sent TO the Confederate Government III
1S61-came into the possession OF Jefferson
Davis After the war Mr.. Scott wrote 10 MI
Davis asking him If he still owned the piece
Mr.. Davis replied. in letter which MT scout
still has. that the coin was taken rom hHn
when he was captured on May ~. iooo' To-
gether with many other things when ne o"heu'
and that n had never heard OF IL aller"aru'
In 10 the present its whereabouts IS not hho"h'
az tho other two coins there is definite trace.
although one was reported 10 De III Ne"-oiiea"S
in 1852.
For the accommodation Of coin collectors VINO
were anxious TO have a copy Of the Confederate
half dollar Mr. Scott had five hundred restrlkeS
made from the original die in his possession
Die-sinkers declared at the time that the thhs
could not be done. for since the diverse OF the
.,, ,.os made from regular United States die
which Mr. scott Of course. could not use. he mad
only the reverse Confederate die to work from
Rut he gathered a number Of United states nan
dollars of 1851 and pressed their diverse sizes
down into a bed of soft steel until he had Cd
tained q sufficiently sharp mould to PRINT from
The copies he made were good. but they can DE
aa,acted from the genuine because they are APP
rreciabIv lighter in weight and the milling Is
rot 60 perfect In the original also. very
email fine line is TO be observed on the DIVERSE
inst above the head Of Liberty. This was caused
nv a tiny crack in the die. and as this die was
M, used for the resrikes the line made by the