Confederate coinage

meos1 · December 28, 2004 1:06PM

I saw this Repro from cancelled dies this evening.

I know its not authentic. Anyone seen an authentic confederate piece? Who is the market maker on these. What are the diagnostics? If you have one post a pic please.

Dan

fcloud · December 28, 2004 1:20PM

Dan, I love that coin, and the story behind it. I have one of the restrikes that look like the one on ebay. They are cool. Back when I bought it they claimed it was made from the canceled dies before the dies were given to the Smithsonian, but I don't think there is anyway of telling because they made another die and made produced more coins after that. It still is interesting.

meos1 · December 28, 2004 1:32PM

I found this site: Confederate coins. Looks like these are uber rare. Probably very few ever come to the surface.

Dan

cladking · December 28, 2004 1:35PM

I believe most of these were made in the early '60's. If memory serves there were
a fairly substantial number struck in copper and many fewer is silver, platinum, and gold.
There have been other runs too, but they are not so numerous.

mrearlygold · December 28, 2004 2:12PM

Restrikes are tough enough. I've bought and sold more than 20 restrike half dollars. ( highest was MS-64, several 63's, handful of 62's, all in private collections, most in anacs holders and off the market for years)

I know the owner of an original ( cent) and it's a POR for sale/trade coin. Not cheap but way cool.

Tom

Gemini · December 28, 2004 2:18PM

There are 12 original copper nickel pieces that were struck by Lovett for the Confederacy. The original dies were dicovered some years later and restrikes resulted. There were 55 restruck in copper and 12 in silver in 1874 and purposely not struck in the original copper nickel composition to protect the integrity of the 12 original pieces. It was planned to restrike 500 pieces at this time but after the 55th impression the dies were severly broken. Using copy transfer dies these defaced die examples were struck lately around the 1960's? by Robert Bashlow in copper and goldine I believe. I bought one that was offered by Littleton Coin Co. years ago for $19.00 I think it was and I am pretty sure they sold out at that time as they were never re-offered by Littleton for sale. I don't remeber how many were struck by Bashlow at this time but I think it was upwards of a thousand pieces. The copper planchet on these examples are thicker than a copper nickel cent.
They are not rare pieces but are now getting somewhat scarce because of their low cost and interesting history.

Conder101 · December 28, 2004 10:18PM

12 originals in Copper-nickel by Robert Lovett

Restrikes from the original dies by Capt John Haseltine in 1874

7 in gold
12 in silver
55 in copper

Restrikes from transfer dies made from the broken original dies by Robert Bashlow in 1961-62

3 in platinum
3 in gold
5,000 in silver
50 in copper-nickel
20,000 in bronze
5,000 in goldine (a type of brass) I see many more goldine than Bronze pieces so I think the mintage figures are reversed.
50 in lead
50 in aluminum
50 in tin
50 in zinc
50 in red fiber

Bashlow sold 5,000 sets of the three silver, bronze and goldine pieces. I haven't seen one of those sets in several years now.
Bashlow gave the origianl Lovett dies to the Smithsonian but I don't know if he gave the transfer dies to them as well.

The last genuine Confederate cents an half dollar sold were in the John J Ford sales. I believe he had a couple Haseltine restrikes as well and a Scott restrike half dollar

thebeav · December 28, 2004 11:12PM

Conder, your mintage numbers sound pretty accurate. I always thought these were quite common.
I remember picking up a silver one at a FUN show in the 80's for 10 or 15 bucks.....I remember the dealer had a PILE of them, and I wondered if he was just striking them up-stairs during the show.....

Paul

lathmach · December 29, 2004 2:00AM

The coin in your post is a bronze Bashlow restrike, meos 1.
The price however, is a little steep, as $30 seems more in line for these. I bought one a few years ago from Jonathon Kern.

Ray

Confederate coinage

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