Nov 6
Lincoln elected
Dec
20
South Carolina secedes
1861
Jan
9
Mississippi secedes
Jan
10
Florida secedes
Jan
11
Alabama secedes
Jan
19
Georgia secedes
Jan
26
Louisiana secedes
Feb
4
Provisional Confederate Congress convenes
Feb
9
Jefferson Davis elected provisional President
Feb
18
Jefferson Davis inuagurated
Feb
21
CSA Post Office instituted
Feb
23
Texas voters approve secession
Mar
4
Lincoln inaugurated
Mar
9
First Issue of CSA Notes authorized
Apr
12
Bombardment of Fort Sumter begins
Apr
17
Virginia secedes
May
6
Arkansas secedes
May
20
North Carolina secedes
May
24
CSA Congress votes to move capital to Richmond
June
1
Mints officially close
North-South
mail ceases
June
8
Tennessee voters approve secession
July
16
CSA Capital moves to Richmond
July
21
Battle of First Bull Run
August 3
CSA Congress authorizes additional $1,000,000 in notes
August 10
Battle of Wilson's Creek
August 19
Third issue of CSA notes authorized
August 27-28
Forts Clark and Hatteras, North Carolina taken by Union forces
Because of the gold rush in North Carolina and Georgia in the 1830's the US Congress passed a bill in 1835 creating branch mints at New Orleans, Louisiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Dahlonega, Georgia. As these states seceeded in 1861, the mints were turned over the Confederacy.
Some coins were produced under Confederate control: half dollars and double eagles from New Orleans, gold dollars and half eagles from Dahlonega, and half eagles from Charlotte.
New Orleans Mint
According to one source the South used the New Orleans Mint to produce more than $500,000 in gold and silver U.S. coins.
1861-O Half Dollar
In April, 1861 Confederate Secretary of the Treasury Memminger ordered that designs for CSA half dollars be submitted for approval. It was found for some reason the dies at the New Orleans Mint could not be fitted to the regular coining press, so it was necessary to use the old hand screw press, upon which four coins were struck. About this time an order came from the secretary suspending operations on account of the difficulty of obtaining bullion, and the mint was closed on April 30, 1861. On May 14 the Confederate Congress voted to close all three mints effective June 1, 1861.
Only two Confederate half dollars are known to survive, and are worth around one million dollars each.
Confederate Half Dollar
(Replica)
After the closure of the mints, it became difficult to make change in the Confederacy. In 1863 the first 50 cent note was issued, and another was issued in 1864.
|
Several states also issued fractional currency, which growing more and more worthless as inflation soared, became known as "shinplasters".
Also in 1863 the Confederate Post Office released a 20 cent stamp. There was little postal use for such a stamp, and its primary function was to circulate as fractional small change. |
|
Although the mints had ceased production, the desire to establish some sort of Southern metallic currency never died out. An alternative to coinage that was discussed was a copper token coinage. The New Orleans Mint Superintendent, William A. Elmore told Treasury Secretary Memminger that dies could be ordered at an average cost of one hundred dollars to strike copper tokens in denominations of one, five, and twenty-five cents. But both houses of the Confederate Congress did not approve the bill, and after October 13, 1862, they never again attempted to establish a system of token coinage.
The Confederate Congress dealt with the problem instead by making U.S. silver coins legal tender up to 10 dollars, along with English sovereigns, French napoleons, and Spanish and Mexican doubloons.
20 Franc Napoleon |
1863 Sovereign |
