Confederate coins to be displayed
The ultimate circulation find, an 1861 Confederate half dollar found in a roll of change around 1880, will be displayed at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money Aug….
The ultimate circulation find, an 1861 Confederate half dollar found in a roll of change around 1880, will be displayed at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money Aug. 14-18 in Philadelphia.
It is insured for $1 million.
It is speculated that it was once owned by either Confederate Treasury Secretary Christopher Memminger or Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
What isn’t in doubt is it could only have been the possession of an important person. Just four were made at the Confederate-controlled New Orleans Mint in April 1861.
The rare half dollar was found by a coin collector named Mark Jacobs in New York State. Once it got into the mainstream of American numismatics, a who’s who of the famous joined the pedigree of names.
Thomas Elder, Waldo Newcomer, B. Max Mehl, Col. E.H.R. Green and Eric P. Newman are all there.
A companion piece, an 1861 Confederate cent, will also be on display at the show.
It is one of the finest of just 16 known. It is insured for $250,000.
This piece was made in Philadelphia under mysterious circumstances.
The new owner of the two coins wishes to remain anonymous, but there is no question about the generosity of lending them to the ANA.
The Confederate cent is also from the collection of Newman.
Both pieces are part of what is called the Black Cat Collection.
Laura Sperber, President of Legend Numismatics, said the owner collected coins as a kid, then jumped back in seriously approximately a year ago.
“His collection would already rank as one of the greatest ever. He is a highly successful entrepreneur who is passionately enjoying the pursuit of great rarities and just cool-looking coins, including Civil War coins such as the Confederate half dollar and cent,” Sperber said.
The Confederate half dollar is graded Professional Coin Grading Service Gold Shield SP40 with Certified Acceptance Corporation sticker.
The Confederate cent is graded PCGS Gold Shield SP63+ CAC.
Both pieces will be part of the ANA Museum Display, ensuring that they will be shown to maximum advantage.
“These coins are classic ‘what ifs’ of history,” said Douglas Mudd, curator of the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum.
The greatest “what if” is what if Mark Jacobs hadn’t found it in a roll in 1880?
This article was originally printed in Numismatic News. >> Subscribe today.
More Collecting Resources
• Subscribe to our monthly Coins magazine - a great resource for any collector!
• Are you a U.S. coin collector? Check out the 2019 U.S. Coin Digest for the most recent coin prices.
