Confederate States of America Original Strikes

About This Coin

Among the most historically charged pieces in American numismatics, the Confederate States of America Original Strikes encompass the extraordinarily rare coins produced by the Confederacy during 1861-1863. The centerpiece is the legendary 1861 Confederate half dollar, struck at the New Orleans Mint using a Confederate reverse die paired with a captured federal obverse die — physically embodying the moment Southern forces seized U.S. government property. The 1861 Confederate cent completes the known original coinage. A staggering auction result of $960K in SP40 grade at Heritage Auctions underscores the intense demand these pieces command. Original strikes are distinguished from the various restrikes and copies produced later in the 19th century. For serious collectors of Civil War-era material, Confederate original strikes represent the ultimate acquisition — tangible artifacts of a separatist government's attempt to establish monetary sovereignty, produced in quantities so small that each surviving example is individually documented and tracked across generations of ownership.