Very rare item! During the Civil War the New Orleans Mint was held by the Confederacy and used to produce its coinage. It was the only mint to produce uniquely identifiable Confederate coinage, the 1861 half dollar with Confederate reverse and the copper-nickel cent of the same year. In 1862 the New Orleans Mint was captured by United States Marines commanded by Commodore David Farragut and closed as a minting facility. Although it is impossible to tell with any certainty because they were made from the same dies, it is likely that most of the 1861-O coins were made when the Mint was under the control of the Confederacy. Most likely those made by the Confederacy are the ones showing weakness at the base of the date. With an original mintage of 17,741, the 1861-O double eagle is a rare coin in any condition. In their population reports, both major grading services have certified a total of 213 coins in all grades. Of course this number does not account for crossovers and resubmissions.

AU 55