Louie Belle Phillips (1861-1936) 的钱币相册
The 1861 is the lowest mintage of the 1860-64 copper-nickel Indian cents. It is the rarest copper-nickel Indian cent in circulated grades and is marginally rarer than the others in mint state condition. But in Gem MS65 or better condition is it about as rare as the 1862, not quite as rare as the 1860 or 1863, and not nearly as rare as the 1864 (the rarest of the copper-nickel Indian cents in Gem condition). The 1861 owes its status as a rarer coin to its low mintage as in the 1950s and 1960s mintage was everything. The 1861 is generally well struck. Gems often have exceptionally attractive frosty luster.
The 1861 Three Cent Silver has the highest mintage of any date in the 1860s, but this is a relative term, since the 1852 (the most common date in the series) has a mintage that is 375 times that of the 1861. This disparate relationship does not translate to the PCGS Population Report, where the census of the 1852 is only twice that of the 1861, but this is due to the fact that most circulated examples never make it to the grading services. The PCGS Condition Census contains a full complement of MS67 examples, meaning that collectors can find some wonderful examples on the market. The 1861 usually comes well struck, seldom with clashmarks, and often with rich, frosty luster. For type purposes, this is a great date, and one that offers excellent value.
The 1861/0 Half Dime is a true overdate, with the 1 punched over an underlying 0. The shape of the o is a bit amorphous, but is readily visible on high-grade examples. This is a relatively scarce variety that shows up at auction approximately 5-10 times per year (often less). PCGS has certified over 100 examples (as of February 2012), but less than half of those are Mint State. The finest examples certified by PCGS included 2 MS-67s.
The 1861 Quarter Dollar has one of the largest mintages of the series, thus it is easy to obtain examples in virtually all grades. Hundreds of Mint State examples have been certified by PCGS, mostly in MS63 and MS64; even Gems are relatively common. The finest examples top out at MS67. Most 1861 Quarter Dollars are well struck. Some examples show die clashing in the right obverse field.
In a survey of the members of the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, published in the March 2008 issue of the Gobrecht Journal, the 1861-O Half Dollar was ranked ninth among the Ten Greatest New Orleans Seated Coins: "This issue had the highest mintage of the New Orleans mint coins under consideration for this listing but it was the last Seated coin struck at this branch mint before it was taken over by the Confederacy. Examples of this issue are in demand as the only collectible coin struck by the CSA. Many thousands exist and they can be obtained in all grades including mint state. Randy Wiley described 14 collectible die marriages for this date in Issue #94 of the journal and this group of coins would make a nice set in itself for the Seated half dollar specialist. Of particular interest would be the existence of some 1861-O proof coins that were listed by Randy Wiley in Issue #97 of the journal. Most recently an example described as Brilliant Proof was sold for $17,250 in the Stack's auction of the Byers Collection in October 2006. This issue received scattered support from the respondents, most likely a function of a member's interest in the Civil War and the coins struck during this period in US history."