Exceptional Pair of 1861 Half Eagles from the Charlotte and Dahlonega Mints are Numismatic Legacies from the Tumultuous Start of the Civil War

The Civil War is one of the most consequential events of American history, a bloody war that split the nation, cost the lives of nearly 700,000 Americans. and ended chattel slavery in the United States. There is not a single area in which the effects of the war were not felt; this includes the coinage of the era and, by extension, the hobby of numismatics today.

While gold was discovered in the 1790s in the southern states, it was not until 1838 that branch mints were established in Charlotte, North Carolina and Dahlonega, Georgia to turn that raw gold into legal tender. Mintages were relatively small when compared to those at Philadelphia, and as coin collecting had not become popular, few examples of these branch mint coins were saved at the time of issue. Most spent years fulfilling their intended purpose: circulating in the economy.

By late 1860, the differences between North and South came to a boiling point; northern and southern factions of the Democratic party split their share of the vote, giving Abraham Lincoln the popular and electoral vote tallies needed to win the presidency. Within weeks, southern states began to hold conventions to secede from the union, with South Carolina taking the lead.

It is under these circumstances that the 1861 half eagles struck at both the Charlotte and Dahlonega mints were created. Before North Carolina and Georgia seceded from the union, fresh dies were shipped from Philadelphia and operations began as they had in years past. However, as soon as their respective states left the union, the mints fell first under the control of the state governments, then finally under the control of the newly formed Confederate States of America.

The Charlotte Mint produced some 6,879 half eagles before being shut down by the summer of 1861. Experts suggest that around 200 examples survive in all grades today.  We are proud to offer the single finest known examplein our Spring 2026 Rarities Night. Graded MS-63 by PCGS and approved by CAC, this piece most recently sold in Legend Rare Coin Auctions’ Regency Auction 42 as part of the Bigmo Civil War Collection.

The mintage for the Dahlonega Mint is somewhat shrouded in mystery. The facility remained under federal control until April 8 when the southern government took over. From the start of the year until the mint fell to Confederate control, 1,597 half eagles were recorded as struck. The remaining stock of gold planchets were coined until they ran out; though the records of the quantities produced do not survive, experts and scholars believe perhaps 1,000 to 2,000 pieces were struck by the southern government. We are again honored to offer one of the finest known examples of this rare and important issue, one of perhaps 75 to 85 thought extant. Boasting a numismatic provenance that includes the legendary collection of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., this piece is graded MS-63 by PCGS and dually endorsed by CAC and CMQ.

Both of these incredible rarities will see very spirted bidding from advanced collectors. We have no doubt that records will fall when the gavel falls on these amazing pieces. The entire Spring 2026 Showcase Auction is available for viewing and pre-sale bidding at StacksBowers.com. Live sessions begin Monday, March 9 in Costa Mesa, California.