The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-21
FIFTY CENTS + WORTH $1,000.
Only One in Existence Issued by the
Confederacy.

From the, New York Tribune.
OF the four celebrated Confederate half
dollars of 1S61-practically the only coins of
the Confederaey-not more than one is now
known to be in existence. aud that is in the
possession of j. w. Scott, the well-known
coin dealer of this city. He values it at
$1,C00 The diverse side OF the coin is the
same as that of the silver half-dolars Of the
regular mint series of that time, with the
Goddess of Liberty seated. and the date, 1861
beneath. The distinctive feature is the re-
verse side. for which new die was struck.
II the center is a shield bearing the stars
and bars of the Confederacy. The number OF
stars in the Acknowledgements the seven
ton of Lincoln, March 4, 1861. liberty pole
is thrust through the shield and bears on it's
tip liberty cap. Twned around The shield,
in the form of a wreath are stalk Of sugar
cane and a stalk of cotton. Above these de-
vices are the words: Confederate States of
America and below them the denomination
of the CON- 'Half Doll
The history of this coin and its three coun-
terparts is interesting. IN February. 1861,
the United States mint at New Orleans fell
into Confederate hands. The Confederate
government. then seated in Montgomery,
Ala. decided to have some new dies made
and to start coinage, of its own at the
with the silver half-dollar. In April Mr.
Memminger. the secretary Of the treasury
of the Confederacy. having issued call fer
designs. selected the one above describ d.
Orleans, and four coins were struck as spec1-
men pieces. under the direction of DR.. B. +.
Taylor ''chef coner for the Confederate
States of America
But the Southern government then found
that, owing to a total lack of silver bullion,
it was one thing to make out four specimen
coins and quite another to issue the money in
quantities. The idea was abandoned, and on
April 80, 1861, the mint closed, only a few
days after the sample pieces had been made.
The four coins were distributed to persons
who would be most likely to take an interest
in them. One was sent to the government,
one to Prof. Riddell. of the University Of
Louisville: one to Dr. E. Ames. of New Or
leans. and the fourth. together with the die,
was kept by DR.. Taylor, who had charge Of
the mint when it was struck. This is the
coin which is now in this city. About the
year 1879 DR.. Taylor sold the coin and the
die to Mr.. Scott. The latter, in, turn dis
posed Of the coin three four years after
ward at public auction in New York for
$3.50. Ten years ago the collection of which
it formed part was offered for sale. Mr..
Scott bought the rare old piece back and has
owned it ever SINCE
One of the other coins-probably that which
sent to the Confederate government In
1S61-came into the possession of Jefferson
Davis. After the war Mr. Scott wrote to Mr.
Davis. asking him if he still owned the piece.
Mr.. Davis replied in letter which Mr.. Sc5tt
still has that the coin was taken from him
when he was captured on May 10, 1865, to-
gether with many other things that he Owned
and that he had never heard of it afterward
Up to the present its whereabouts is not
known. OF the other two coins there Is no
definite trace. although one was reported to
be in New Orleans in 1882