1861 1C CSA Silver Restrike - (1874) Haseltine PCGS PR63

Here's an extremely rare issue for the Civil War enthusiast: a restrike of the original Confederate cent of 1861. PCGS has graded only five in silver. This offering from AUCM is the finest in Proof, with one finer in Proof 64 Cameo.

Robert Lovett, Jr. locked the door to his office at 200 South Fifth Street in West Philadelphia and headed to a local bar for a stiff one. Downing his drink, Lovett fished through his pockets for a coin and tossed a penny on the bar. He then tipped his hat to the bartender and headed home. As the door clanged shut, the man behind the bar took a close look at the coin in his hand. He had never seen anything quite like it.

John W. Haseltine, the coin dealer who purchased the Confederate cents and their dies, and produced this restrike in 1874.

His wife greeting him at the door, Lovett gave her a peck on the cheek and headed for his dressing room. He emptied his pockets of keys, a folded piece of paper, and a small handful of change.  Dumping the coins on his dresser, his heart began to race and his tongue went dry. He had spent his lucky piece, the penny that the bartender had put away for safekeeping. Lovett's life was about to change forever.

A few days later Capt. John W. Haseltine, Civil War veteran and prominent Philadelphia coin collectors and dealer, was working in his shop at 1343 Chestnut Street. A gentleman visited his establishment to tell him, "Haseltine, a Philadelphia bartender has a Confederate cent." Haseltine, who never heard of such a coin, did not believe him. After some convincing, Haseltine took a coach to the West Philadelphia bar one evening after work. He walked into the establishment and spoke with the bartender.

"I understand that you have an unusual coin, a Confederate cent...?"

To make a long story short, Haseltine and Lovett met a few times and the coin dealer eventually purchased ten original Confederate cents (and their dies) from Lovett. The below advertisement ran in a Philadelphia newspaper on April 2, 1874:

Having succeeded in discovering and purchasing the dies of the Confederate cent, we have concluded to strike for the benefit of collectors a limited number, and in order to protect those gentlemen who had the copper-nickel pieces originally struck in 1861, we determined to strike none in that metal. Our intention was to strike 500 in copper, but after the fifty-fifth impression, the collar burst and the dies were badly broken. They are now in the possession of Mr. Haseltine and may be seen at his store, No. 1343 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.