1861-O Half Dollar Ex. B. Max Mehl
RussHJB
Posts: 20 ✭✭✭
Many of you probably remember my posts about the deal we did that included the 1895 proof set and other amazing goodies. Well, I decided that I needed a piece of that history too. My collecting focus is Liberty Seated coins and I fell in love with this coin when I saw it. So now that the dust has settled I’ve purchased it for my personal collection. This particular 61-O is a W-04, for anyone that isn’t familiar with 1861-O half dollars the down and dirty version is this. When Louisiana seceded from the Union the mint was taken over by the state government that continued to strike coins under the authority of LA. When LA joined the confederacy the Confederates kept striking 1861-O half dollars. The W-04 variety that was struck under the authority of Louisiana.
This coin was purchased from B. Max Mehl in February of 1916 for the handsome sum of $1. This is now hands down my favorite coin in my collection.
Comments
I can see why you would buy that one for your personal collection. Awesome piece of history.
I'd be proud of that myself, nice score
Fantastic acquisition, and the background makes it all the more desirable.
That's what I'm talking about... an awesome coin with traceable history!
Hey...that's kinda cool!!
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@RussHJB .... Thanks for the pictures and the backstory. Cheers, RickO
Very nice!
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Really nice add to your collection. The coin is so original.
That's a neat example!
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Super cool!
I love it when a coin's historic context is preserved as well!
One of the big reasons I fell in love with this coin!
There were a number of other denominations such as the 1861-O $20 where who struck it, the fed or the state isn't known. Must be the die variations that don't exist with the gold ones. (The ghost of Paul Morphy still lingers who after beating the best chess players in the world could not succeed in his law practice in New Orleans at that time though with his photographic memory he had absorbed the entire Louisiana law code in his gray matter.)
Great piece! I do wish PCGS would have attributed it as the CSA struck half, however. Would be nice to add that to the label.
Don't ever lose that little envelope!
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Nice coin. The die crack is hard to see.
Wow!