1861 Confederate States of America half dollar, Original, obverse and reverse — the example that belonged to CSA President Jefferson Davis, sold by Heritage Auctions in January 2015. The FLOAT constituent is priced on the NGC PR40 Original sold by Stack's Bowers in November 2017; only four originals were struck. — Heritage Auctions lot photography, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

1861 Confederate States Half Dollar (Original)

Maker: Confederate States of America (New Orleans Mint)
Year: 1861
Rank: 61 of 100

1861 Confederate States Half Dollar (Original)

1861 Confederate States Half Dollar (Original) by Confederate States of America (New Orleans Mint) (1861) is ranked 61 in the FLOAT 100 for Coins. It sold for $960,000 on 1 November 2017. The legendary Confederate half dollar — only four originals struck on a CSA-designed reverse die; a Civil War numismatic icon.

What is it, and why is it in the FLOAT 100?

The legendary Confederate half dollar — only four originals struck on a CSA-designed reverse die; a Civil War numismatic icon.

50c silver, CSA Original, Breen-8000, NGC PR40 (one of only four originals struck)

What is the best-sourced number for it?

Figure: $960,000
Kind: Realized at auction
Date: 1 November 2017

1861 CSA Original Half Dollar, Breen-8000, NGC PR40, realized $960,000 (Nov 1 2017). Only four originals were struck at the New Orleans Mint.

This is a realized sale. Somebody paid it. Source.

How this is made

The figure: One reference price, taken from a named public source and shown with its own kind. FLOAT does not average it with anything or adjust it for time.
Realized or not: A realized price is a completed sale. A market asking price and a price-guide value are not sales, and are labeled as such wherever they appear.
Why no grade ladder: Most FLOAT 100 entries are individual objects. There is one of this, so there is no population and no spread across grades to show.
Archive: 2026-08-08